Sanctuary
by Cat929
Summary: Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy have something in common: tragedy and loss. Both have decided to seek out a new life and a new home, a place where they can heal and put the pieces back together again.
1. Prologue

_So this is it, the start of a new story centering around our beloved Darcy and Elizabeth (or rather, Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth). I hope to post once a week, on Wednesdays. Eventually, I may go to twice a week, but it will be a while before that happens! As always, reviews and comments are always appreciated._

* * *

_**'Sanctuary'**_

_**Prologue**_

_**Saturday, July 19th, 2008 ~ New York City**_

_Beep. Click. Hiss. Beep. Whir._

The incessant but soft noises that surrounded the hospital bed of Fitzwilliam Darcy's wife had begun, over the last week, to become an almost soothing presence in her room. He had come to depend upon hearing those odd sounds, their steady cadence reminding him that she was still here, was still with him. The smells of the hospital, too, had become familiar. Though not as welcome as the sounds, they weren't quite as off-putting as they had been at first; unfortunately, he was growing accustomed to them as well.

He was sitting right next to his wife's bed, holding her left hand, absently rubbing his thumb over the soft indentation where her wedding rings had been before they were removed, staring at her battered but slowly healing face.

_Just wake up, Anne, wake up. Open your eyes. _

If sheer willpower on the part of her husband could have caused Anne Darcy's eyes to open, they would have done so two weeks ago, when this nightmare began. Parts of that horrible night were still foggy; he'd suffered some injuries as a result of the accident as well, blocking out part of his memory, but his injuries were nothing compared to what Anne had suffered. The driver's side of the car had taken the brunt of the crash, the pickup truck that hit them blowing through a red light and slamming into them at forty miles an hour.

_Damn economy car_. Anne had insisted that they take her new little hybrid that night, which had crumpled like a tin can under the force of the crash. If they had taken his Land Cruiser, they'd both probably be fine. Maybe not fine, but better off than they were at the moment. He would have been driving, and maybe _he_ would have been the one in this damned bed, not her.

William squeezed her hand lightly, feeling tears come to his eyes, and fought to hold them back. She was so beautiful, even now, with fading bruises on her face and one cheek still slightly swollen. He knew what her skin was like under all that horrible discoloring, knew the hypnotic violet-blue shade of her eyes underneath the puffy lids. Her hair, the color of wheat...his fingers tingled at the memory of running his hands through the long, soft strands.

_Will I ever get to do that again? Will I ever get to play with her hair, or watch her brush it, or watch Jack tug on it and tangle his hands up in it?_

Jack. Their little boy, who had only just turned two a few months ago. What would he do without his mama?

Will shook his head, pushing the what ifs away, concentrating instead on willing his wife to get better. He leaned over to place a kiss on her hand, lifting it slightly to rub it against his cheek, before raising his eyes to her face.

"I'm here, Annie. I'm right here," he whispered quietly. "I've been here with you, and I'm not going anywhere. But you have to promise me the same. Promise me you'll stay. You have to fight hard. You have to stay here with me, with Jack. Okay?"

He stopped, feeling himself getting choked up again, and leaned to kiss her hand once more. Hearing movement at the door, he turned, and found his in-laws standing there quietly.

"How is she, Will?" asked Anne's father, Louis DeBourgh, his voice rough and weary.

Will shrugged and stood as they entered the room. "The same. No changes at all."

Louis nodded, and reached to wrap his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Why don't you go get yourself some coffee and a bite to eat, or better yet, head home to Jack? We'll stay with her."

Catherine, Anne's mother, nodded and spoke quietly. "Go on Will, take a break. We'll look after her."

Will shook his head and glanced at his watch. "It's not even dinner time yet. Jack is with Georgie, so I know he's fine." He sighed, and all at once, felt a wave of exhaustion come over him. "A cup of coffee does sound good, though. Can I bring you back anything?"

The older couple declined, and after telling them he'd be back shortly, Will kissed his wife's forehead softly and left her room. He headed toward the bank of elevators outside of the ICU, and was grateful that the one that stopped for him on the eighth floor held no other passengers. After entering and pushing the button for the first floor, he leaned heavily against the wall. He closed his eyes and immediately, images of his wife flooded his mind, causing his body to tremble and his throat to constrict as tears gathered under his eyelids.

Thankfully, the elevator chimed then as it reached its destination, and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain the tenuous hold he had on his emotions. He left the elevator and slowly ambled down the maze of hallways toward the cafeteria, deciding to call his sister while he walked, wanting at the very least to check in. She answered immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hey Georgie, it's just me," Will said quietly. "How are you? How's Jack?"

"We're both fine. How are you doing? How's Anne?"

"Still the same." He released a long sigh, and felt frustration bubble up in his chest. "It's odd, it's like she's just sleeping, you know? I have to stop myself from shaking her to get her to wake up."

"It will happen, Will, I know it. She loves you and Jack too much to give up."

"I know, Georgie. I have to keep hoping, I guess. It's just that...the doctors were so encouraging before, but now I feel like they've become less optimistic. I'm not stupid, I know that the longer she's unconscious, the less – the less likely it is..." His voice trailed off as his emotions threatened to take over again. He cleared his throat briskly, and continued on in a whisper. "It's – it's like they're starting to give up or something, and it's hard...I can only go by what they say." Feeling overwhelmed, he took a deep breath and changed the subject. "How's my little man?"

Georgiana, realizing her brother was on the verge of breaking down, went along with the change of topic. "Oh, he's fine. Is he always like this? He hasn't stopped moving since he got up from his nap an hour ago."

Will smiled, though his eyes were still blurry with unshed tears. "He's pretty busy. If you need a minute to just sit, pop in an Elmo DVD, he'll remain motionless for as long as the video lasts."

Georgiana chuckled softly. "Thanks for the tip. Um, do you think you'll be home for dinner, or should we go ahead and eat without you?"

Will was torn; he wanted to see his son, wanted – _needed_ – to hold him and hug him, but didn't want to leave Anne's side, not yet. "I – would you mind if I stayed here? I mean, can you stay with Jack a little longer?"

"Will, I'm here for the duration, I told you. I've already unpacked my things in the guest room."

He sighed in relief. "I appreciate it, Georgie. I'm sorry this is disrupting your life so much."

"I'm sixteen, I really don't have much of a life, trust me." She paused, her voice turning soft. "Seriously, though, you know I wouldn't be anywhere else."

Will felt a rush of affection for his younger sister. "Thank you." He paused for a moment. "Has – has dad checked in?"

"Um, yeah, he called a little while ago." Will didn't respond, and the silence stretched out until Georgiana spoke again. "Look, Will, he's concerned, you know he is. He's just – he feels like he'll be intruding if he stops at the hospital, and he doesn't want to call and disturb you while you're with Anne. He's been tied up with work, and with you not there-"

"Georgie, you don't have to make excuses for him, it's fine. It's probably better that he doesn't visit, especially since Anne's parents are here a lot. It would just add more stress to an already stressful situation."

"He's worried for you, Will, he is, don't think that he doesn't care."

"Mmhm."

"Will-"

"Georgie, I have to go. I just left Anne's room to get some coffee, I need to go back. Thanks for taking care of Jack, give him a hug and a kiss from me, okay? Tell him his daddy and his mama love him."

Georgiana swallowed roughly, refusing to let Will hear the sadness that had suddenly enveloped her. "I will. I'll see you later tonight. Bye Will."

"Bye Georgie."

Will was just purchasing his large coffee when he heard the loud-page echo throughout the cafeteria.

_Code blue ICU 6, code blue ICU 6._

For a moment, he couldn't react to what he was hearing. He looked at the cashier blankly.

"What – what did they just say? Over the loudspeaker?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure, I kinda block that stuff out during my shift, it happens so often."

There was another person in line behind Will, possibly a nurse, and she spoke up. "I think they said they have a code blue in ICU six. I'm not sure-"

She stopped speaking as Will abruptly bolted toward the hallway, his coffee spilling everywhere as it dropped to the floor.

_ICU 6. Anne's room._

* * *

_**Thursday, July 24thst, 2008 ~ Cambridge, Massachusetts**_

Elizabeth Bennet Collins sat in the back seat of the police cruiser, watching as events unfolded outside the window. Red strobe lights from the ambulance, mixed with the blues from the police car, danced across the front of her condominium. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the ambulance, wondering how her best friend was faring.

_I can't believe it came to this_, she thought. She watched as another police car, the one in which her handcuffed husband now sat, slowly left the scene, presumably to head to the police station. Someone approached from the rear of the cruiser, startling her. She looked up into the shocked expression of her older sister, and let out a huge sigh of relief. A female police officer hurried over, concerned that someone was approaching the vehicle, but gladly opened the rear door to let Jane in when she was assured that she was a family member.

As soon as Jane was settled on the seat, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Shhh Lizzy, it's okay, everything is okay," Jane whispered soothingly, holding her sister tightly and trying her best to comfort her. "Can you tell me what happened?" she asked softly, continuing to stroke her sister's back.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I – I need to f-find out about George, I need to make sure he's – he's okay." As she said the words, the siren on the ambulance gave a short blast, warning the small, curious group of onlookers that had gathered that they needed to move out of the way. It moved through the crowd and sped off down the street, and Elizabeth listened as the sirens faded.

"I'll find out, I promise. As soon as a police officer comes over, I'll ask, I swear. But you have to tell me what happened."

Elizabeth sat back and took a deep breath, trying to control her breathing. She was trembling violently and clenched her hands together, willing the shakiness to subside, but it was no use. When she tried to speak, her voice shook, and she stuttered helplessly.

"Lizzy, try to relax," Jane said, reaching to grasp her sister's hands tightly. "You're safe, I'm going to take care of you, but you need to tell me what happened. I need to call mom and dad-"

Elizabeth cut her off, shaking her head emphatically. "No, don't, not yet. Dad – dad will be s-so upset, Jane, p-please don't call him now."

"Okay, I won't. Are you hurt? Did you get hurt at all?"

Elizabeth reached up to touch the back of her head, rubbing the spot that had become sore from having her hair yanked so hard. "Just – just the back of my head, he – he was pulling my hair." She looked at Jane, her bottom lip quivering. "I didn't cry, Jane...I wouldn't let him see me cry." As she said the words, she dissolved into tears again, prompting Jane to pull her close and hug her, tears coming to her own eyes.

After a few more long minutes spent holding her sister, Elizabeth finally sat back again and took another deep breath. "Bill wasn't – he wasn't supposed to be home yet. He – his plans changed, I guess...he wasn't supposed to come home until tomorrow night, but he came this afternoon instead. I was out with George, we went out for lunch...I never get to see him anymore." Elizabeth looked into her sister's eyes, and knew that Jane understood. "George came back to the house with me, and we were talking in the foyer about – about Bill. George was begging me to leave him, to get away from him, move back home, or better yet, just move away...I told him that I'd decided to do it, that I couldn't live like I had for the past year." Elizabeth sniffled softly. "George was so – so relieved, so happy, he grabbed me and hugged me..."

A solitary tear slid down Elizabeth's cheek, and Jane reached up to wipe it away. "What happened then, Lizzy?"

"Bill was – he was home. He heard all of it, he must have been standing at the top of the stairs, listening to us talk, watching George hold me. He was so angry...furious." Elizabeth looked up at Jane, disbelief etched into her expression. "When he came down...I – I didn't even know he owned a gun, I had no idea...and he was pointing it at George, then at me, and he was saying that George would _never_ have me, that no one except him would ever have me." She sniffled. "I told him, over and over again, that George and I were just friends, but he didn't believe me. He never believed me..." Fresh tears began coursing down her cheeks as she continued. "Bill reached for me and grabbed me by the hair and pulled me toward him, and George...he'd had enough, he said, of seeing me hurt, and he went after Bill...he – he tackled him, but the gun went off..."

"Oh my god," Jane whispered, shock evident in her voice, "Bill shot George?"

Elizabeth nodded, crying again. "There was blood everywhere...George was holding his side, he was in so much pain, but Bill wouldn't let me help him. One of the neighbors must have heard the shot, because all of a sudden the police were there...but Bill wouldn't let me go, wouldn't let them come in the house to take care of George. He kept telling me that it was my fault that George was shot, that I _made _him shoot George..."

Jane felt anger flare up inside of her, and fought to keep herself calm. The last thing Elizabeth needed was an irate, worked up sister. She softened her expression before speaking again, keeping her voice even. "Oh, Lizzy...what did you do? How did the police get you out of there?"

Elizabeth stared at her sister, and when she spoke, her voice was flat, almost lifeless. "I told Bill that I – that I loved him, and that I'd never leave him," she said quietly. "I promised him...I swore on my life that I would stay by his side, that we'd get through this – this mess. We'd get through it together."

"Lizzy-"

Elizabeth interrupted her, shaking her head. "You don't have to say it, I know. I won't stay with him, Jane...I can't. I have to leave him, I have to go. I said what I had to, to help George, and to help myself, but I won't stay with him any longer." Elizabeth took a deep, shaky breath, and looked at her older sister; her life, as she knew it, had spun completely out of control in the blink of an eye. She clutched Jane's hands tightly. "What do I do now?"

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_Well, there you have it. Chapter 1 will be posted next week. Reviews/comments are welcome! Thanks._


	2. Chapter 1

_Thanks to everyone that reviewed and commented on the Prologue, I really appreciate it! I know I said I would be posting on Wednesday, but I had the time tonight, so I figured I'd just get it done. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!_

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_In every heart, there is a room_

_A sanctuary safe and strong_

_To heal the wounds from lovers past_

_Until a new one comes along._

_I spoke to you in cautious tones_

_You answered me with no pretense_

_And still I feel I said too much_

_My silence is my self-defense._

_But if my silence made you leave_

_Then that would be my worst mistake_

_So I will share this room with you_

_And you can have this heart to break.*_

_**~ Sanctuary ~**_

**Chapter 1**

_**Saturday, Ju**__**ne 4**__**th**__**, 2011 ~ Portland, Maine**_

Will Darcy sat back on the low bench of the ferry, letting the early morning sun warm his body. The weather was still cool, but the sun felt good beating down on his face. He took a sip of his coffee and cracked one eye to make sure his five-year-old son was still within his sight. Jack was across the deck from him, reaching up above the high railing, holding a cracker and trying to tempt a seagull to come down and take it from his hand. The seagull was teasing him, coming within a foot or two of his small fist before flying higher once again, away from the food.

"Take it, bird, take it!" Will heard Jack say patiently, and he smiled. Losing interest in the game, Jack tossed the cracker over the side, and watched as the seagull dove toward the waves to find the small morsel of food.

"You almost had him," Will said as his son came to sit next to him on the bench.

"Yeah, almost," Jack said, leaning his head against Will's shoulder. "How much longer is the ride? Are we almost there?"

"Not much longer, about fifteen minutes or so, I think."

"Will all my stuff be there already?"

"Sure it will." _I hope so_. "The freight boat left before the ferry, and we haven't caught up to it yet, so that means it's still ahead of us."

Jack remained quiet, leading Will to believe he was possibly still a little anxious about moving to a new home. He couldn't blame him, really; Will was a bit anxious as well. All Jack had ever known was their penthouse in New York, the sights and smells and sounds of the city. Things would be different here; they'd actually hear the birds singing, smell the grass, see the stars at night...it would all be so new for Jack. For both of them.

"Did I tell you that in the summertime, Great Diamond Island, and especially Diamond Cove, is filled with lots of kids your age?"

Jack nodded his head. "Mmhm."

"There's a big swimming pool that everyone shares, and a few beaches...maybe you'll learn how to swim this summer, how does that sound?"

"Good!" Jack exclaimed, raising his head to look at Will, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Can you teach me?"

"Of course I can."

"And can we build a tree house? Or a fort?"

Will smiled. "We'll have to see what kind of trees are in the yard, make sure there's one big enough."

"If we don't have a good tree, we can just build a fort, that's okay."

"A fort would be just as good."

Will thought about the house that he'd bought. He'd taken a gamble, as he'd only seen it in pictures, but the real estate agent he'd dealt with, Madeline Gardiner, had seemed honest to a fault, and he felt as though he could trust her. She gushed about the house, saying it was a steal at just under a million dollars, and after seeing the pictures, he had to agree. It was big, but not too much house for him and Jack. The views of Casco Bay were fantastic, and it had a few amenities that he loved; a large yard with lots of trees, perfect for forts, or tree houses, or maybe both; a wine cellar, which he looked forward to stocking; and a home office with views of the bay out every window.

They had neighbors, but all of those trees provided quite a bit of privacy for the two-acre lot. His real estate agent was a neighbor, actually. She and her husband, Ed, had lived on Great Diamond Island for over twenty years, and absolutely loved it. Their home wasn't too far away from Will's, located just outside of Diamond Cove.

"It will take some getting used to, especially for a city boy like you," Madeline had said to him teasingly. "No cars, as a rule – only in an emergency, or for moving people on or off island. Golf carts are allowed, though.

_Golf carts?_

"There's only one store," she had continued, "which is only open in the summer, and one restaurant – also only open in the summer. Oh, and all the schools are off-island."

At first, hearing all of that had made Will think twice. _How will Jack get to school? Where do I keep my truck? What if there's an emergency?_

The agent had reassured him that there were plenty of kids who went to school on the mainland, and she would be more than happy to help him adjust to island life. "It's worth every little bit of effort you'll have to put into it. Trust me," she declared firmly, and that sold him.

He was ready, at this point, to begin a new life; at the ripe old age of thirty, he was starting over. It will be an adventure, he'd told Jack. He smiled to himself as he watched his young son walk over to the railing again, trying to lure another seagull in with a cracker. _It certainly will be._

* * *

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Elizabeth Bennet grinned when she heard the call from her front door. "Come on in, Maddie, the door's open." She walked out into the living room of her tiny home, and smiled at her landlord. "I'm just about ready. Hopefully the ferry is running on time, I don't want to be late for work."

"I'm sure it is. I just hope the freight boat is on schedule as well, Mr Darcy had all of his belongings packed up by a moving company into one of their trucks, and that truck is on the freighter."

"Ohhh, that's right, the transplant arrives today, I'd forgotten about that."

Maddie laughed. "Now you be nice, young lady, you're a transplant too, you know."

Elizabeth grinned mischievously. "You know I'm just teasing, of course I'll be nice. Which house did he buy again?"

"The Millers', out on Old Dock Lane. They were thrilled that it sold so quickly. It's a beautiful house, I'm not surprised that it was only on the market for a few weeks. Frankly, Mr Darcy got a fabulous deal."

Elizabeth sighed. "I'll miss the Millers, they're such nice people."

"I'll miss them too," Maddie replied, "but it was just getting too difficult for them. They'll be better off on the mainland, closer to their children and grandchildren. Mr Miller has had to go back and forth so often for doctors' appointments and such, it's become too much of a hardship to be here, so...off they went. I found them a nice little house in South Portland, not too far from their oldest son. They'll be just fine."

"I'm sure they will." She turned off her coffee maker and grabbed her small backpack and purse. "Ready when you are."

Elizabeth closed the front door, and she and Maddie headed down the stone walkway that led from her house, across the Gardiner's backyard to their little driveway. They climbed into 'Vixen', Maddie's candy-apple red electric golf cart, and headed toward the ferry docks.

When Elizabeth had first heard that there were no cars allowed on the island, she had to admit, she was a little skeptical about whether or not she could live without a car parked right outside her door. She knew about the golf carts, but was even more skeptical about driving one – until she saw Maddie's, that is; her golf cart was definitely _not_ your father's golf cart. The sides were open now, but that was an optional feature. There were doors that attached, but Maddie chose to leave them off in the summer, unless it was raining. It had heat and air conditioning, could comfortably seat four people, and fit snugly into a tiny little alcove built off the side of the Gardiner's home.

As they quietly sped along down the mostly deserted lane, Elizabeth couldn't help but think how lucky she was to have ended up on this island after all. Elizabeth first met Maddie when she moved to Portland from Boston two years ago. The outgoing, gregarious real estate agent had tried to find her a small house or a decent apartment on the mainland that would fit into her budget, but the places that she could afford were in neighborhoods that Maddie didn't recommend. Elizabeth's money was being spent on a motel room at the time, and finally, on Elizabeth's fourth day of fruitless searching in Portland, Maddie had brought her over to Great Diamond Island to show her a small guest house – conveniently leaving out the fact that it was actually on her own property.

Elizabeth had been astounded when she heard the cost of the rent, which was well within her budget, but was a little leery that the cost of taking the ferry back and forth would soon eat up anything she was lucky enough to tuck away.

"You'll be able to get a resident's pass for the ferry, it's actually not too expensive," Maddie had explained, almost as if she had read Elizabeth's mind. "The house is completely furnished, and the utilities cost next to nothing. Cell phone service is dependable, so you don't need to have a land-line, and if you're careful about not leaving your lights on at all hours and all that, the landlord is willing to pay the electric. All you need to pay is the rent and the cable bill."

Elizabeth had instantly fallen in love with the cozy little yellow house. Its design was unique in that it was basically square, but had a small addition attached that almost resembled a miniature lighthouse from the outside. There was nothing fancy about it; there were four rooms, each one ridiculously small. But really...what else did she need? Even the porch out front was small, too small, in fact, to fit more than one chair. She didn't care, though, not one bit. It was perfect.

Maddie hadn't told Elizabeth it was _her_ guesthouse until Elizabeth had signed the lease and asked to meet the landlord. Though Elizabeth was surprised to find out she was now Maddie Gardiner's tenant, it was a pleasant surprise. She had felt an instant affinity with the petite, silver-haired older woman, and they had fallen into easy conversation from the moment they met. Edward, Maddie's husband, was a quiet, unassuming man, his personality quite the opposite of Maddie's. Elizabeth saw the twinkle in his eye when he gazed at his wife, though, and knew that theirs was a true case of opposites attracting.

When Elizabeth had found out that the Portland Children's Library was looking for full-time help, Maddie had put in a good word for her and allowed Elizabeth to list her as a reference, even though they'd only known each other for less than two weeks. This, along with a part-time serving job at a five-star restaurant that came along shortly after, helped pay the bills and enabled her to put some money away. The friendship between the two women grew steadily, despite the gap in their ages – Maddie was slightly older than Elizabeth's mother – and eventually, Elizabeth had told Maddie a bit about her life in Boston, about what had happened there, and what had spurred her to move away and start a new life. Now, Elizabeth didn't even blink an eye at the fact that even though she was only twenty-six, one of her best friends was almost sixty years old.

"So, this Mr Darcy is retiring to Diamond Cove? Is that what you told me?" Elizabeth asked as they neared the ferry docks.

Maddie shrugged. "Retiring? I'm not so sure that's the right word. I think that maybe he's just looking for a change, something new." She slipped Elizabeth a sidelong glance. "Kind of like someone else I know."

Elizabeth let the comment slide. "Where is he from?"

"The Big Apple. New York City."

"Wow," Elizabeth said, eyebrows raised. "Well, I'm sure he'll love it here, I don't know how he couldn't."

They pulled up to the dock and climbed out of the cart, and as they did, Elizabeth glanced around at the people beginning to disembark from the ferry. "What does he look like?"

"Well, we've never met, so I'm not sure. I've only seen his driver's license."

Elizabeth gave her an incredulous look. "He bought the house without seeing it?"

"Oh, he saw all he needed to see in the pictures I sent him, believe me. He knew a good deal when it was staring him in the face. But...I think I'll recognize him when I see him."

Elizabeth was listening, but was distracted by the sight of a tall, dark-haired man walking down the long wooden ramp from the ferry. He was smiling, looking down at someone walking next to him, and soon enough, Elizabeth could see it was a young boy. They held hands, and the child was obviously excited about something. The man raised his eyes, apparently looking for someone, and Elizabeth's eyes widened. He was quite handsome...striking, actually.

"Mr Darcy!" Maddie called out, waving her hand and walking further ahead toward the dock.

Elizabeth knew she should be looking for this Mr Darcy person, but she couldn't take her eyes off of the gorgeous man with the little boy. She watched as he waved to someone...and then began walking toward them. Toward her...toward Maddie.

"I wasn't sure I'd recognize you," Maddie said, smiling widely as the man approached them.

Elizabeth's eyes widened further. _This is Mr Darcy?_

"I thought about that as we were docking. I was ready to shout out your name if necessary," Will replied, smiling at her. "It's nice to finally meet you in person," he said as he shook Maddie's hand. "This is my son, Jack." He looked down at his son. "Jack, this is Mrs Gardiner, she's going to take us to our new home."

Jack held out his hand, his expression serious. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Gardiner."

Maddie shook his hand solemnly. "It's very nice to meet you too, Jack Darcy." She glanced behind her, as if she suddenly remembered that Elizabeth was there. "Oh, this is a dear friend of mine, Elizabeth Bennet. Lizzy, this is Mr William Darcy and his son, Jack."

Elizabeth raised her eyes to his and was struck by the intensely dark brown, almost black color. She held out her hand and he reached for it, although he seemed a bit hesitant. "It's – it's nice to meet you, Mr Darcy, and of course you too, Jack." She smiled down at the young boy, who stared up at her with the prettiest blue eyes she'd ever seen. "Welcome to Great Diamond Island."

William stared at Elizabeth for a moment before giving a brisk nod of his head. "Miss Bennet," he replied, letting go of her hand quickly, though his gaze seemed to linger on her face just a bit too long. He turned his attention back to Maddie and cleared his throat. "So...is the freight boat here?"

Elizabeth, feeling slightly uncomfortable now but not sure why, glanced down the length of the small harbor, as did Maddie. "It's there, I see it," Maddie said, pointing further down the docks. "Why don't we hop in Vixen, we'll take a ride down there."

"Vixen?" Will asked, eyebrows raised.

"Oh, that's my ride," Maddie said, laughing. She leaned close to Will and spoke quietly. "Sexiest little golf cart you'll ever meet, hence the name."

"I've yet to meet a sexy golf cart," he said, allowing himself a small smile.

"See? The fun is already beginning," Maddie replied, laughing.

Elizabeth spoke up. "I – I should get on the ferry, I don't want to be late for work."

"Are you going to the picnic tonight?" Maddie asked, turning to face her.

"Oh, um, I'm not sure, I may stay at Charlotte's tonight, it's her birthday. I won't know until later."

"Well, have fun if you stay, but be careful."

"I will." She turned back to Will and Jack. "Nice to meet you both, enjoy the island."

Again, Elizabeth was given only a brisk nod in response from the new arrival. She said her goodbyes to Maddie, and headed for her usual seat on the ferry. Leaning over the railing, she watched as the three of them climbed into Vixen, Mr Darcy folding his tall frame into the back seat, relinquishing 'shotgun' to Jack. She lost sight of them as they headed to the freight boat, so she turned around again and settled into her seat.

Rolling her eyes, she thought about his greeting. "_Miss Bennet_." Obviously, he wasn't the overly friendly sort, though he seemed approachable enough when he got off the ferry. Although, he probably felt that he knew Maddie just from talking to her so much on the phone; she had the knack of making anyone feel like an old friend.

The thing was, as much as she tried to pretend his response – or his brush off, as it was – to Elizabeth's introduction didn't rankle her, it did. By the end of the ferry ride, she had convinced herself that he was probably just the typical snobby, uptight, rich transplant. There were plenty of them around, and somehow, a lot of them seemed to feel that because they were wealthy, their status and self-importance followed them to the island from wherever they came from, like a second shadow. _He'll be in for a rude awakening when he finds out that isn't the case_, she thought.

As the ferry docked, Elizabeth gathered up her things and prepared for the one-mile walk to work. She enjoyed starting her day with a brisk walk, and tried to drive only in the winter when it was very cold. At least once every week or so, she went to the city parking garage next to the ferry terminal to check on her car, and so far, she'd never had a problem. The city of Portland gave a long-term parking discount to residents of the islands out in Casco Bay – there were several – and so it didn't cost much to keep her car there. It was worth it to have it when she needed it.

Her cell phone rang as she walked, and she smiled when she saw it was Jane.

"Good morning," Elizabeth said cheerfully, happy to be getting a call from her older sister.

"Hi Lizzy, how are you? Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Not at all, I'm on my way to work, enjoying a nice walk. What's up?"

"Nothing much, I just thought I'd call to check in."

"Check up on me, you mean?"

Jane laughed. "Not checking _up_, checking _in_. There is a difference, you know."

"Hm. Maybe a small one. I'm fine, everything is good here."

Jane had always been Elizabeth's staunchest ally and best friend. There were some tense times between them a couple of years ago when Elizabeth had decided to leave Boston, but eventually Jane had come to understand that her younger sister had _needed_ to leave, needed to go somewhere new and start fresh. Elizabeth had understood Jane's resistance to the idea, knowing that deep down, she was really just concerned for her and wanted to keep her nearby. On top of all that, Jane was just sad that she was leaving. They were only a year apart in age, and as such, had been thick as thieves all their lives.

"That's good."

"How's Mr Carver doing?"

"Oh, Stuart is fine. He's – he's good."

Elizabeth's brows furrowed when she heard the tone in her sister's voice. "Jane?"

"Ugh. He's just – he's Stuart. Unflappable, uber-calm Stuart."

Elizabeth giggled. "What in the hell does that mean?"

Stuart Carver was Jane's boyfriend of nearly a year. He was a nice man, divorced, and eighteen years older than Jane, which had surprised Elizabeth at first (freaked her out a little was more like it), but she could see why Jane was attracted to him – sort of. He was very soft-spoken, well-educated, and even handsome, in an 'older man' kind of way.

"Oh, I don't know what it means. I just feel...I don't know. Things are weird lately, like we're not clicking or something. We're not fighting or anything, it's just...it's like he's here, but he's not. You know?"

"Hm. So...what are you going to do about it?"

Jane sighed. "I don't know. I care about him, I really do. I mean, he's reliable, loyal, sweet, and even cute-"

"Oh, for crying out loud Jane, is he a man or a puppy? Obviously, you need to talk to him."

"What about you?" Jane asked, turning the tables easily on Elizabeth. "Dating anyone? Dipping your toes in the water?"

"Huh," Elizabeth said, "no toe dipping here. I haven't found any waters worthy of my toes."

Jane laughed lightly, knowing her sister was trying to use humor to avoid the question. "Seriously, sis, have you met anyone?"

"I've met lots of people, but I'm not interested in dating, not at all."

"You've got to put yourself out there, that's the only way to get past everything. Not every man is like Bill Collins."

"No, you're right," Elizabeth said testily, "there are a bunch of Stuart Carvers out there too."

"Lizzy, that's not fair. Stuart's not a bad guy. A little too set in his ways, maybe, but he's nice."

"And sweet, and loyal, I know. Leave it alone, Jane, will you?"

Jane sighed loudly. "Fine."

"Fine," Elizabeth said, her voice softening. "So how's everyone else? How is dad doing?"

Jane hesitated a moment. "He's doing well, but he misses you. He asks me all the time when you're coming home, and it's finally gotten to the point where I don't answer anymore, I just shrug. I haven't gotten up the courage to say 'never'. I just can't bring myself to do it."

"I miss him too, Jane. I call him all the time...he never asks _me_ when I'm coming home, though."

"That's because he knows you'll tell him the truth. He asks me because he knows I won't say what he doesn't want to hear."

Elizabeth's eyes teared up, and she quickly changed the subject. "How's the brat? Still bratty?"

Jane laughed. "Yes, for the most part. She drives mom and dad crazy, but I think she's finally realizing that this is it for her; she's done with college, and now it's time to move out into the real world. Sadly, I think we'll have to drag her kicking and screaming from her little pink bedroom at mom and dad's. As much as Lydia tries to come across as this worldly, experienced girl, I can see she's terrified of venturing out on her own."

"When is her graduation?"

"A week from today...do you think you can make it?"

Elizabeth swallowed. "I don't know, Jane. I'll try. I have the day off, so...it's a possibility."

"Mom and dad would be thrilled, and so would Lydia. You can come home, Lizzy...there's no one here that can hurt you."

"Oh, I know that, Jane." She gave a sarcastic laugh. "And correction; dad and Lydia would be thrilled, mom not so much."

"Lizzy," Jane replied, in her best set-down voice, "you know that's not true. Mom will be happy to see you too, I'm sure she would."

Elizabeth slowed as she neared Bam Bam Bakery, inhaling the mouth-watering smells that wafted to the sidewalk from inside the small store. Unable to resist, she stopped in and ordered a blueberry muffin and a coffee to go, while still keeping Jane on the phone.

"I'm sure she wouldn't," Elizabeth said as she stepped back outside. "It took a long time for dad and me to settle things between us. For some reason, mom just doesn't want to face reality."

"She had a soft spot for Bill," Jane said, trying halfheartedly to defend her mother.

"Apparently, a bigger soft spot than she has for me," Elizabeth said, feeling a bit of frustration well up in her chest. "Look, Jane, I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Okay, okay, that's fine." There was a moment of silence until Jane spoke again. "I – I saw George the other night."

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat at the unexpected mention of that name. "You did? Where?"

"I was out with Stuart, we ended up going to The Black Rose for a drink. George was there, at the bar."

Elizabeth's eyebrows knit together. "How is he? How did he look?"

"Honestly Lizzy? He was drunk as a skunk, and had two girls hanging all over him."

"Did he see you?"

"He did. He just smirked at me and turned away, which was fine by me. He didn't give me the time of day." There was no response from Elizabeth, and Jane had an idea of what was going on in her sister's head. "Don't start with the clamming up, Lizzy. You did everything you could for George Wickham, and he just took complete advantage of you. You were best friends, since the third grade for Pete's sake! You don't owe him anything, you never did, and he had no right-"

Elizabeth interrupted her sister. "Stop, Jane, I know, and I'm not clamming up, I'm not – I'm not feeling badly, believe me. I just didn't expect to hear you mention his name, that's all." She sighed. "It doesn't – it doesn't hurt like it used to, not at all. I think I've finally gotten beyond it. I was just surprised."

Jane's voice was quiet. "I know, I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have even said anything to you about seeing him. I just – I get so pissed off when I think about all that emotional crap he pulled. He's such a jackass."

"You're right, he is. In a way, I kind of pity him now. He wasn't always like this."

"No, he wasn't, but the way he changed...none of it was your fault. You do know that, right?"

Elizabeth grinned slightly at her sister's pep talk. "Yes, I do know that. Of course I know that."

"Are you sure?"

"Ugh, yes, I'm sure!" Elizabeth exclaimed. She glanced up, and saw that she was standing in front of the library. "Oh, I'm here. Time for work...you should call me every day that I walk, it made the time fly."

"Call me this week, let me know if you'll be coming to the graduation. Lydia would love it."

"I know, and I'll think about it, okay?"

"Okay, good enough." Jane paused. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Jane!"

"Okay, okay, I'll leave it alone. Bye Lizzy, have a good day."

"You too. Bye sis."

Elizabeth hung up and walked up the wide granite steps that led into the library, thinking about the upcoming weekend, trying to decide what she would do. Unbidden, thoughts of George Wickham floated back into her mind and she forcibly pushed them away, determined to forget him and the pain he had inflicted on her. _It's all in the past_, she thought, lifting her chin. _I have a new life now_.

* * *

Will glanced up toward the ceiling of his new home, smiling as he heard Jack's footsteps tearing around upstairs, over his head. It was almost three o'clock, and the moving company had just finished bringing everything in. Now there were boxes waiting to be unpacked, and pieces of furniture begging to be arranged, in every room.

"Well, I think Jack definitely approves," Will said to Maddie as he walked around the first floor with her. She was showing him the general layout of the home, and he was beyond pleased at the condition and design of the place. Of course, he had seen it in the pictures she'd sent to him, but they hadn't done it justice.

There were windows everywhere, flooding the home with light and warmth. The soft pale blues on the walls, with white trim, contrasted nicely with the polished wood floors. Arched doorways added a unique look to the entrance of each room, as did the columns that graced some of the archways, used as supports.

"This place is fabulous, Maddie, it really is." They continued up the stairs, which curved around to the second floor, and there they ran into Jack as he once again came tearing down the hallway.

"Dad, can I show you the room I picked out for me?" he asked, out of breath and red-cheeked from running around so much.

"Absolutely, lead the way."

Maddie started to chuckle as she realized that Jack was leading them to the master bedroom. When they entered, and Will realized it as well, he laughed out loud.

"Well, Jack, I hate to break it to you, but I think this is my room."

Jack's face fell. "Why is this your room?"

"Well, it's the master bedroom."

"What does that mean?"

"That means...well, this is like the parent room. The master's bedroom. That's me. Parent and master," Will said, winking at his son.

Jack thought for a moment. "But Mrs Reynolds always calls me Master Jack. So doesn't that make me a master too?"

Will heard the muffled laughter of Maddie as she stood next to him, and had to fight to keep his expression serious. "Well...that's just a – a type of nickname. Kind of. See, Mrs Reynolds was someone who worked for us, and since you're too young to be called Mr Darcy, you were called Master Jack."

"Right, so why can't I have the master bedroom?"

Will rolled his eyes and sighed, trying his best to hold back the grin wavering on his lips. "Can we talk about this later? Why don't we let Mrs Gardiner show us the rest of the upstairs?"

Jack shrugged. "Okay."

He wandered off down the hall, and Will sighed again, shaking his head.

"He's a smart one, isn't he?" she asked, grinning at the look on Will's face.

"Oh, you have no idea. He can talk me into a corner like the best of them."

Maddie laughed. "Well, I think we can persuade him to focus on another room. The one here, at the opposite end of the hall, has something I think he'll like."

Jack had already found it on his own; another doorway inside the bedroom, built to look like part of the wall, that led into a separate, small space. "Whoa, Dad, look at this! A secret room!"

"Wow," Will said enthusiastically. "I think – I think that maybe I'll let you have that master bedroom, and I'll take this one." His ploy worked like a charm.

"No, Dad, I think this one's perfect for me. You can have the master bedroom."

"I don't know...we may have to arm wrestle for it."

"C'mon Dad, I really want this one. Please?"

Will sighed dramatically. "Alright, I guess I'll take the other."

Jack's face lit up. "Thanks." He disappeared into the small extra room, grinning from ear to ear.

Will nodded toward the doorway. "What is that?"

Maddie shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm thinking it must have been a walk-in closet, but it's odd that there are windows, and the ceiling seems a bit too low. Maybe it was just used for storage. I knew it would appeal to him. What boy wouldn't like to have a secret room?"

Will smiled. "Well, I'm glad you knew about it, or else I would have ended up in here, as I'm sure Jack would have won the argument about the master bedroom, hands down."

They finished touring the upstairs, and after visiting the office on the first floor again, they headed to the basement, where Will checked out the wine cellar. It had four storage areas, each holding 125 bottles and able to be set to different temperatures, depending on what type of wine was being stored.

"This is incredible," Will said, eying the space. "Did the Millers have a taste for good wine?"

"That they did," Maddie replied. "I'm sure they'll be happy to learn that the new owner has the same kind of taste."

Will nodded. "I didn't used to, but my wife loved good wine. Me, I was a beer guy. I still am, I love a well-brewed beer." He laughed. "I couldn't tell the difference between a ten-dollar wine and a

hundred-dollar wine. She taught me all about it...how to look at it, smell it, taste it...how to appreciate it. Being able to detect all those subtle flavors and scents that are all locked into a bottle of wine...it's almost like an art, you know?"

"It _is _an art, you're right." She paused for a moment, a brief look of confusion settling across her features as she thought back to what he'd just revealed. "I didn't realize you were married, Mr Darcy." He hadn't mentioned his wife in any of their previous conversations.

"Oh, um, I'm not, not anymore. My wife passed away about three years ago."

Maddie felt mortified at her blunder. "Oh, I'm – I'm so sorry, I had no idea..." Her voice trailed off, and it was obvious she was uncomfortable and didn't know what to say.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Will said, seeing her discomfort. "You didn't know, and really, I had no reason to mention it before." He offered her a reassuring look; the last thing he wanted was to make her feel badly. "It's fine, Maddie, honestly."

And it _was_ fine. Will could talk about Anne now, could be reminded of her, without that feeling of cold loneliness and grief stealing over him. He'd had to learn to overcome it, for Jack's sake. Over the past year or so, Jack had begun to ask Will to show him his baby pictures, so that he could look at his mother. At first, Will found it downright impossible to look at the pictures for long, it was just too painful. Eventually, though, the pain began to lessen, and with it, his grief. It began to feel comforting to look at those pictures, soothing even.

Before long, Jack began asking questions about his mother as well; naturally, he was curious about her. He never asked anything too deep, just general things, usually about her appearance, or about what foods she liked or didn't like, what her favorite color was...simple things. Sometimes, though, he'd ask a question that would totally surprise Will and knock him for a loop.

"_What did she smell like? Did she smell like flowers? She makes me think about flowers when I look at her."_

Those simple questions, asked so innocently, had sent Will's mind spinning, and it had been a long moment before he was able to pull himself together enough to give a coherent answer, overwhelmed as he was with memories.

"_She smelled exactly like the prettiest flower you've ever seen, Jack."_

He realized now that Jack was the one who had pulled him out of the fog of grief that he had staggered into, bringing him back to reality. If it wasn't for his son, _living_ for his son, Will was pretty sure he would have died right along with Anne. A piece of him had, he knew that, but there was still plenty of him left, and plenty of life left to live; it had just taken him a while to realize it.

Looking to change the subject and restore the easygoing banter between them, Will spoke again to Maddie. "And now, two things; first, you have to stop calling me Mr Darcy, and start calling me Will. Second, I'm leaving it up to you to point me in the direction of the finest wine store in Portland, so that I'll be able to start stocking up."

Maddie brightened at the new bit of conversation. "Well, I know just the place, Will. Are you a cigar aficionado as well?"

"Mmm, I occasionally – _occasionally_ – indulge in a fine cigar," Will said teasingly. "Why?"

"Well," Maddie said, "there's a place called Old Port Wine and Cigar…."

Their conversation continued as they headed back upstairs, and Maddie remembered to mention the picnic at the parade grounds that was taking place that night.

"It's done on the first Saturday of every month in the summer, and tonight is the very first one of the season. You should come along, it would be the perfect opportunity for Jack to meet some of the island kids, they'll all be there."

"Oh, I don't know," Will said, rubbing his forehead with one hand, "he's going to be exhausted by dinner. We have a lot of unpacking to do..."

Maddie raised her eyebrows. "Does all the unpacking have to be done today?"

"Well, no, but...I wanted to be ahead of the game."

"Unpack what you need for tonight, that's all you should worry about today. Plus, the picnic will save you from having to make a trip to the store to get some dinner. I'm making my famous fried chicken, I'd be happy to bring along enough for you and Jack. I could introduce you around to some of the other families…." Suddenly, she stopped herself and shook her head slightly. "Oh, I'm being pushy, forgive me! You can tell me to be quiet, you know." She smiled widely. "But please consider it."

Will laughed and nodded. "You're not being pushy at all, and I will consider it...your offer of fried chicken may persuade me." His stomach was already rumbling at the thought of it.

She smiled. "Good enough. Elizabeth may come too, if she doesn't stay in Portland."

Will nodded again. "Um, yes, I thought I heard her say that. Can I call you and let you know?"

"Of course you can! It's just down at the parade grounds, not too far from here. I believe you'll be wanting a golf cart soon; you can talk to Eddie about that, he'll be able to find you a good one."

Will smiled. "I'll do that. What – where are the parade grounds?"

"Diamond Cove used to be a military base, so the park in the middle of the cove is still called the parade grounds. We passed it on the way here."

"Oh, yeah, I remember. I read something about the history of this place, about the fort that used to be here. It's pretty interesting."

"We have quite a bit of history on this island, believe me. Well, I won't bother you any longer. I'm going to head home and get going on that chicken."

"Thanks for everything, Maddie," Will said as he walked her to the front door, then outside to the massive front porch. "I really appreciate the extra help, you've been great."

"Oh, no thanks necessary. We take care of each other on this island...you'll find that out soon enough. I hope to see you at the picnic, Will. Five o'clock sharp!"

"I'll call you," Will said, watching as she climbed into her cart, "and thanks again for everything."

At that moment, Jack came flying out the front door, onto the porch. "Bye Mrs Gardiner! Thanks for the house!"

Will heard her laughter as she started to drive away. "You're welcome, Jack! See you soon."

They stood on the porch for a bit longer, until Jack asked if he could start unpacking his toys. Will gave his approval, and Jack dashed back up the stairs to his room.

Will sat, then, on the top step of the porch, surveying the property around him. His mind drifted back to his conversation with Maddie Gardiner.

_Elizabeth may come too, if she doesn't stay in Portland._

He laid back on the porch, suddenly feeling fatigued. God, he'd acted like such a jerk when he met her, but he didn't know what else to do. The way she had looked at him, with those big brown eyes, and when she shook his hand... He had felt _something_, but being the socially inept idiot that he considered himself to be, he didn't quite know what to do about it, so he did what he always did when he felt awkward: he acted like a prick._ It's a great defense mechanism_, he thought, shaking his head ruefully, _and I've mastered it_.

He thought again about the picnic, and whether he should go. Truthfully, the call of Maddie's fried chicken was ringing loudly in his ears. Why not go? Why not at least _try_ to meet some people, even if it's just so that Jack can make some friends?

_Maybe Miss Bennet will stay in Portland, and save me from looking like a fool again._

With that, he stood and sauntered back into the house, calling out to his son as he headed upstairs.

"Hey Jack, what do you think about going to a picnic?"

* * *

_Reviews are appreciated! Let me know what you think. Thanks!_

* 'And So It Goes' by Billy Joel


	3. Chapter 2

_Hello all! Happy Tuesday. A huge thank you to everyone who left a review or a comment on the story, I appreciate it and enjoy reading them. Big thanks to my betas, Mariana and Jan, for all their help. They rock! On to the picnic..._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The sound of children's laughter blew across the park on the breeze, and Will smiled as he watched Jack run around with a pack of kids – there was really no other way to describe them – that he'd just met within the last hour. They probably ranged in age from four to ten, but Will was pretty sure that there were at least a few that were Jack's age.

The picnic looked to be a success, from what Will could see. He had managed to find two beach towels, and had brought them along for him and Jack to sit on. There were blankets packed somewhere, he was sure of it, but he'd spotted the towels first. Maddie had been busy introducing him to quite a few people, mostly families with kids, and everyone had been exceedingly kind and welcoming.

He met Ed, Maddie's husband, and they talked quite a bit about what Will could expect from island life. Ed offered to take him and Jack on a tour the next day, and Will had readily accepted. He wanted, _needed_, to get a feel for the island and where everything was located. They talked about golf carts too, as Will had pretty much already given in to the idea of getting one. Jack had stated that he wanted a black one with racing stripes and 'big fat tires', and pipes in the back that shot flames. _I think you're getting our cart confused with the Batmobile, _Will had told him_._

Maddie certainly hadn't been telling tales about her fried chicken; it was delicious, and both Will and Jack had dug in enthusiastically. She'd also brought potato salad and fresh biscuits, still warm from the oven.

As they tucked into the feast, Will noticed a couple walking across the grass of the parade grounds, toward the picnic. They looked to be about his age, and were both blonde and tall. The man carried a cooler, and seemed to be listening intently as the woman talked about something, waving her hands around animatedly.

Maddie noticed them at the same time. "Oh, the Bingleys are here, I'll introduce you to them." She waved, gesturing for the couple to come over and join them. "Charles and Caroline grew up on the island," she explained to Will. "I was hoping they'd come tonight."

The Bingleys made their way over to the small group, and Will stood up as Maddie made the introductions.

"Nice to meet you, Will, welcome to the island," Charles Bingley said warmly, extending his hand.

"Thanks, nice to meet you both too," Will said, shaking first Charles' hand, then Caroline's. "This is my son, Jack," he said, guiding Jack to stand next to him.

Charles held out his hand toward Jack. "Hey Jack, how are you?"

Jack shook Charles' hand, somewhat shyly, but managed to look him in the eye. "I'm good." He turned to look at his father. "I'm done eating, can I go play again?"

Will nodded. "Go ahead, just stay where I can see you, okay?" Jack agreed, and bolted off to join the other kids.

"So, Will, are you the one that bought the Miller's place out on Old Dock Lane?" Charles asked.

"That's me."

"Oh, I just love that old house, always have," Caroline Bingley said quietly. "The views of the bay are fabulous."

"They are. We just arrived today, so I haven't had much of a chance to appreciate them yet, but what I've seen so far is great."

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"New York."

Caroline's eyes widened. "And you moved here? That's quite a change of pace."

Will shrugged. "It was long overdue."

"How old is Jack?" Charles asked. Caroline had opened a blanket, and they all sat down. She began to pull food from the cooler, handing some to Charles, along with a bottle of beer.

"He's five." Will watched as his son ran around with the other children, chasing after a soccer ball. "Looks like he'll have plenty of playmates."

"Oh, there are loads of kids on the island, especially in the summer," Caroline said. "The number goes down a bit once the summer residents leave, but there are still plenty of kids around."

"So, you both grew up here, and then ended up marrying and living here?" Will asked innocently.

Charles choked on his beer, and Caroline burst out laughing, as did Maddie and Ed.

"Oh, I suppose that when I said 'the Bingleys are here', I should have clarified that they are the Bingley _siblings_. Brother and sister, not husband and wife," Maddie said, still laughing.

Will could feel his cheeks pinking. "Oh. Sorry. I just figured..." Everyone was still laughing, so he gave up trying to mumble an apology and joined them. "Alright, alright, no more trying to embarrass the new guy."

"It's fine. We're so used to everyone here knowing us..." Caroline shrugged, and when she caught Will's eyes, she smiled sweetly at him, her dark blue eyes sparkling. "It's an easy mistake to make, I suppose."

Will held her gaze for just a moment before looking away, still feeling the flush on his cheeks. "Well, at least I won't make it again." He turned to look at Charles, and his attention was caught by the bottle of beer Charles was pouring slowly into a red plastic cup. "Is that a local brew?" he asked, not recognizing the label on the bottle.

Charles held up the bottle proudly. "Can't get any more local than this!"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Oh, for heaven's sake, don't get him started," she said, turning to talk to Maddie.

"This is my own beer," Charles said proudly, "brewed right here on the island. Diamond IPA. You a beer drinker?"

"I like my microbrews...got an extra one in there?" Will asked, nodding toward the cooler, thinking that a cold beer would be nice right about now.

"Absolutely," Charles responded enthusiastically. He reached into the cooler and pulled out two more beers, handing one to Ed and one to Will, along with a bottle opener and two more cups. "Let me know what you think – and I want an honest opinion. No trying to be polite 'cause you're the new guy."

Will smiled as he opened and slowly poured his beer, then took a small taste. After he swallowed, his eyes opened wide. "This is excellent." He took another sip, a longer one this time, and nodded his head. "Where do you make this?"

Charles laughed. "At my house, in the backyard shed."

Caroline casually intervened in the conversation, leaning in toward Will. "Yes, you'll know it's Charles' house," she said quietly, "because the lawn mower, the gardening tools, and everything else that belongs in a person's shed is outside in his backyard."

Will smiled at her and laughed a bit. "This is a damn good beer, Charles. Have you tried to market it?"

Charles nodded. "I took it to a few places locally, but without having the ability to mass produce it, it's kind of pointless. My shed isn't exactly big enough for large-scale production, but I did manage to run some plumbing out there and get it pretty well set-up for a small operation."

Will nodded, impressed. "Is this your only brew?"

"No, I've crafted a few. I've done a stout, a dark lager, a blonde ale, and this IPA. I need to do the stout again, it's not quite where I want it yet. The others, though...they're pretty good. Of course, that's just my opinion."

"No," Ed said, taking another sip of his beer, "that's everyone's opinion. Charles hasn't made a beer that I didn't like – the stout included. Lucky for us, we get to be the taste-testers."

Will's eyes opened wide and he smiled. "When's the next batch due?"

They were interrupted by the distinct sound of a child crying, and Will looked up to see Jack walking toward him, his hands covering his nose and mouth. He handed his cup to Charles and moved quickly toward his son, squatting down in front of him.

"What happened, bud?"

Jack sniffled. "I got hit in the face with the ball," he answered, his voice muffled by his hands. "It was an accident, Sam didn't mean it."

A little boy ran up next to Jack, presumably Sam, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Jack, I wasn't aimin' for your face." He turned to look at Will. "I didn't mean to hit him, Jack's dad."

"That's okay, Sam, accidents happen," Will said, slowly pulling Jack's hands away. His nose was bloodied, and his upper lip was definitely swollen and in need of ice. As if reading his mind, Caroline walked over with some ice from her cooler, wrapped in a small towel.

"Here you go, Jack, hold this to your lip," she said softly, squatting down next to Will. She held the ice pack gently to Jack's mouth, and at first he winced and pulled away, but then he allowed her to place it back against the tender spot again.

Will watched Caroline out of the corner of his eye, trying to be discreet. At that moment, she turned to him, and noticing his stare, she smiled that very same sweet smile.

"Hopefully he didn't cut the inside of his lip, you should check to make sure," she said softly.

"Um, yeah, you're probably right." He turned back to his son, pulling his gaze from hers. "Do you think you cut your lip, Jack?"

Jack shook his head and spoke. "No, just my nose was bleeding. It stopped."

"Okay. Well, have a seat for a bit on the towel, alright?"

"Aw, Dad, can I go play again?"

"In a minute, yes, but for right now, I want you to sit, okay?"

Jack frowned. "Okay."

Caroline smiled at Jack while she spoke to Will. "I hate to say it, but it's probably the first injury of many. Growing up with Charles, I'm surprised my parents didn't get their own boat to take us back and forth to the mainland. It seems like he got hurt every other day of the week, and we were always making trips to the emergency room or some doctor or another."

"Hey, boys will be boys, right Jack?" Charles said, nudging Jack's shoulder slightly, coaxing a smile from the boy.

After Jack had sat still for another five minutes, Will sent him on his way, telling him that they'd be leaving in about half an hour.

"He looks exhausted, but he's being a trouper," Maddie observed.

"_I'm_ exhausted, so he must be," Will replied, "but I wanted to give him the chance to meet some of the kids as soon as possible."

"The little boy that kicked the ball – Sam Grady – he's a good boy, and I think he's about the same age as Jack, as far as I can remember. His parents are there," Maddie said, pointing to a couple on the other side of the picnic. "Nice family."

Will nodded. "Good to know, thanks."

The five adults sat for a while longer, discussing mundane things, answering Will's many questions about the island and the Portland area. He learned that there was a Children's Museum, which he was already looking forward to taking Jack to, and Maddie let him know about several programs that the public library put on during the summer.

"I'll ask Lizzy to get you some information, she works in the Children's Library, so she's pretty familiar with the schedule."

"That would be great, thanks."

"I guess she decided to stay in Portland tonight with Charlotte," Maddie said, grinning and shaking her head. "Those two are a force to be reckoned with when they're together."

Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw Caroline roll her eyes. It was meant to be discreet, he was sure, but he noticed it.

Jack came ambling over to the group slowly, looking completely wiped out. "I think I'm ready to go, Dad," he said, sitting himself in Will's lap and curling against his chest. He yawned widely, making the other adults in the group smile.

Will glanced at his watch, and saw that it was nearing seven-thirty. "I think I'm ready to go too, kiddo," he said, giving his son a brief squeeze. "It's been a long day." Will lifted Jack from his lap and stood. "What time does the tour bus leave tomorrow, Ed?"

Ed laughed. "You tell me. I can go at any time, so it's up to you."

"How about ten? Too early?"

"Not at all. I'll be by to pick you up."

Will reached down to shake his hand. "Great, I'll see you in the morning." He turned to Maddie. "Thanks again for dinner, I really appreciate it." He nudged Jack a little, subtly encouraging him to remember his manners.

"Thanks for the chicken, Mrs. Gardiner," Jack said, stifling another yawn.

"Oh, you're both very welcome," Maddie answered. "I'm sure I'll see you around the island, perhaps even tomorrow. Go home and get a good night's sleep."

Will smiled. "We will, thanks."

"Hey, Will, I'll get you over sometime to try the next batch of brew, see what you think," Charles said, shaking Will's hand again.

"I'd like that Charles, thanks." He turned to Caroline. "Thanks for helping out with Jack," he said, studying her eyes again.

"Oh, it was nothing. I'm glad he's okay."

Will remained silent, only giving a brief nod, before picking up his towels and saying a final goodnight to everyone.

After Will had walked away, with Jack up high on his shoulders, Ed and Charles began discussing the new commercial fishing laws that had just gone into effect in the area. Seizing the opportunity to gather information about Diamond Cove's newest resident, Caroline turned to Maddie.

"So...what's his story, anyway?" she asked, trying to sound only mildly interested.

"His story?" Maddie replied, immediately wary of Caroline's question. "I'm not sure I follow."

"His _story_," Caroline repeated emphatically. "Why did he move here from New York? Did he go through a horrible divorce or something? Is he a criminal?"

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Oh, for heaven's sake, he's not a criminal. And what makes you think he's divorced?" Maddie said, giving Caroline a pointed stare.

Caroline looked surprised at the question. "Well...he has a son, but no wedding ring, so...I just assumed he's probably divorced."

"He's not," Maddie replied, purposely misleading Caroline with the half-truth.

Caroline sighed. "Oh, now that's a shame. He is simply delicious." She watched as Will strolled slowly across the field, admiring his tall form and very well built body, shown off to perfection in old, worn jeans and a short sleeve polo shirt. "He seems very nice. His wife is a lucky woman."

Maddie could only nod, almost ashamed that she was deceiving Caroline. Something inside of her felt a little protective of William Darcy and his son, though. Caroline was a nice enough girl on the surface, but she had a bit of a reputation. While Maddie wasn't usually one to believe gossip, she found that where there was an abundance of it, there tended to be a small kernel of truth to at least some of it. She knew that eventually, Caroline would find out Will's 'story' anyway, but it wouldn't be from her lips.

* * *

Will collapsed onto his couch, sighing deeply. Jack was tucked in, snug in his old familiar bed, after taking a quick but much-needed bath when they got home. Will had showered as well, and then they had settled in Jack's bed together to read his favorite book of the moment, 'Where The Wild Things Are'. Jack had struggled valiantly to remain awake, but had lost the battle with exhaustion about five pages in. After turning on the nightlight, Will had kissed him softly on the forehead and quietly left the room, leaving the door ajar in case Jack woke during the night.

After a few minutes of just lying there peacefully, Will got up and walked into the kitchen, retrieving his cell phone from its charger. He stared at it for a moment before rubbing his face with one hand. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was only just after nine. He needed to call Georgie, he had promised her that he would. Walking to the refrigerator, he grabbed a bottle of water before heading back to the living room and settling in on the couch again.

He pressed the button for her number, and after only a few rings, she picked up.

"Hi Will!"

"Hey Georgie," he said, smiling softly.

"I was hoping you wouldn't forget to call. How did everything go? How's the house?"

The excitement in her voice made his smile grow. She was always in his corner, his little sister, no matter what. "Everything went really smoothly. The house is fantastic, you'll have to come up soon to visit. Once I'm unpacked, that is." He looked around at the boxes stacked in the living room. "It might be a while."

She laughed at the tone of his voice. "Just let me know when you're ready for me, I'll be there. How's Jack dealing with all of it?"

"He's been great. I was worried that he might not be able to fall asleep in a new room, you know? But boy, he crashed hard. I think he wore himself out. He met a bunch of kids at a picnic, and they just ran full tilt for a couple of hours."

"You went to a picnic?"

He could hear the disbelief in her question. "Yes, I went to a picnic. The real estate agent that sold me the house lives on the island with her husband. She told me about it – and offered us some of her homemade fried chicken – so I went."

"Thinking with your stomach, as usual."

"Well, it was worth it, believe me. I met a few people, and Jack did too. He got nailed in the face by a soccer ball, but he's no worse for it."

"Oh, poor guy."

"He's okay," Will said, rubbing his face again and sighing.

"What's the matter?" Georgie asked.

"Hmm? Nothing, I'm just tired, that's all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He paused for a minute as his thoughts began to race, and a surge of anxiety shot through him. "Did I do the right thing, G? Bringing him here?"

"Will, you're his father. Only you can know that for sure."

He shook his head, feeling a bit frustrated, and took a sip of water, wishing it was something stronger. "I know. I – I did. I did the right thing, for both of us. I'm just tired, that's all. I think the long day is catching up with me."

"You're probably right," Georgiana said, reassuring him. She believed in her brother, believed he was doing what he thought was the best thing for himself, and especially for his son, and because of that, she'd back him up one-hundred percent. "You don't need to be on the phone with me, I just wanted to know when you got there and when you got settled, that's all."

"I'm here, but I'm far from settled, trust me."

"Well, there's no rush, right? No one to impress, no deadline to meet, so don't put so much pressure on yourself. One day at a time."

Will nodded. "I know. Thanks Georgie."

"One thing before you go...will you call Mrs R tomorrow, just to say hi? I'll let her know that I heard from you, but I know she'll want to say hello, to you and to Jack."

"Of course I will, I'll call her in the morning." The last thing he wanted was to worry Alice Reynolds.

Georgiana's voice softened. "She'd like that." She paused. "What about dad? Are you going to call him?"

Will's eyebrows shot up. "Um, no. You can tell him I made it here, if he's even interested in hearing it, but I don't need to call him."

"Will-"

"Georgie, please, I'm way too tired to have this conversation, alright? Not now." His voice was firm and abrupt.

"Okay, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Go to bed and get some sleep, and I'll call you in a couple of days to see how you're doing."

Will sighed. "I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm sorry. I'm just – I'm just tired."

"I know, it's fine. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

They said their goodbyes, and after hanging up, Will closed his eyes. The anxiety that was still coursing through him unabated made him recall the last conversation he'd had with his father.

"_You're taking him away from everyone and everything he knows. His legacy is here, Fitzwilliam, not in the backwoods of Maine. This is his life, this is where he belongs."_

"_His legacy? Jesus, dad, he's only five years old! Give him a chance to experience elementary school before you start jamming the Darcy legacy down his throat!"_

"_Do you think he'll truly be happy, away from here, away from all of us?"_

_Will swallowed. "Yes, I do. I – I think this is how it works: If I'm away from here, __I'll__ be happier. How can I be a good father to him, be what he needs, if I'm not happy? He's only five, dad, don't you get it? As long as I'm with him, as long as we're to__gether, he'll be happy. He's my son, and I'll be damned if I'll __let you, or anyone else, make me question my abilities and my decisions as his father."_

"_That's not what I'm doing, son."_

"_It most certainly is. You're trying to make me doubt myself. Two years ago – hell, even a year ago – it would have worked. Not now."_

"_You don't have to leave New York to be a good father."_

"_Well, I think I do. I have to leave New York...the people, the places...I have to leave them behind. For now."_

"_The people? Including me?"_

"_Yes, dad, including you. Especially you."_

Will sighed, almost feeling a twinge of remorse as he remembered the look on his father's face when he'd said those words. He'd had to speak the truth, though, nothing less could be said. His father had declared, right then and there, that Will would be 'cut off' if he went through with this 'preposterously insane idea'. _Leave it to Dad to react with a financial threat._ Will had just shrugged, not really caring one bit. He had enough money stashed away, so much that he didn't have to work another day in his life if he didn't want to. Wise investments made over the past eight years, and the substantial inheritance he'd received on his twenty-fifth birthday from his mother's estate, had left him quite wealthy, and quite comfortable.

His father just didn't understand. Will grew up the same way Jack was going to grow up: motherless. Granted, Will had lost his mother at a much older age – he was eleven, while Jack was only two – but just the same, the last thing Will wanted was to give his son the life that _he'd_ had after such a tremendous loss. In fact, he'd do everything in his power to make sure it didn't happen.

Including moving his son to the backwoods of Maine.

* * *

Ed Gardiner arrived at the Darcy home promptly at ten o'clock on Sunday morning. Jack sprinted outside, looking forward to another ride in the flashy golf cart.

"Can I sit in front, Dad?"

"I need to talk to Mr Gardiner, Jack, so it will be easier if I'm up front." Will ruffled his son's dark hair when he noticed his frown.

"I'll tell you what," Ed said to Jack, "I'll go to all the important places that I need to show your father first. Then we'll head down to the docks, and if it's okay with him, you can switch seats there and sit up front."

Jack's face lit up as he looked from Ed to Will. "Can I?"

Will nodded, smiling. "Sounds reasonable."

Ed took the scenic route, taking his passengers outside of Diamond Cove so that he could show them a couple of the private beaches (out of the five on the island) and the community swimming pool. Jack was pleased to see that situated next to the pool, centered in a large expanse of nicely manicured grass, was a spectacular 'climbing toy' and playground.

"Is that where I can learn how to swim?" Jack asked, staring at the glimmering water of the pool.

"I can teach you there or in the ocean, you can pick," Will responded.

"I pick both," Jack said. "We can swim in both."

There was a tennis and basketball court complex, a gym, and surprisingly, duck-pin bowling, in a beautifully restored turn-of-the-century bowling alley, which also housed a very small arcade and billiard hall. Just outside the gates of Diamond Cove stood a small art gallery and an even smaller museum, dedicated to the history of the cove. Ed also informed Will that there was a very small shuttle bus that did serve the island, and could take people to and from the ferry, but it wasn't very reliable, and only ran in the summer.

The general store was just what a general store ought to be, Will thought. It was a beautiful old brick building, formerly the Quartermaster's lodge.

"This is where the locals come to socialize," Ed explained, chuckling. "All the old-timers that are still around sit at the picnic tables outside and talk about the good old days. How are you in the kitchen?"

Will raised his eyebrows. "Um, not bad, I guess. I'm not bad with the basics."

"What do you say, Jack?" Ed asked, glancing back over his shoulder quickly. "Is your father a good cook?"

"He's okay," Jack replied earnestly. "Sometimes he burns stuff."

Both Ed and Will laughed, and Ed continued speaking. "Well, if you're ever in need of a quick dinner, that's the place to go. From May until October, anyway. They have all kinds of freshly prepared foods, and they have the best ice cream around. As far as groceries go, you can get your staples there, but if you're craving anything fancy, you'll have to head into Portland. There are a couple of large grocery stores that have delivery service once a week to the island, you just have to meet the freight ferry."

Will nodded. "Good to know."

The more Will saw and heard of the island, the more excited he became about spending time here with Jack, getting back to a simpler way of things, and leaving the craziness of life in New York behind. _This is what I need,_ he thought. _It's what __we__ need._

As they headed down the narrow lanes, back toward Diamond Cove, Ed filled Will in on the history of the small area. Will was surprised to learn that it was originally built to serve as sort of an artist's haven, housing the likes of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow – a Portland native – and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Eventually, around the time of the Spanish American War, the government took over the property and constructed Fort McKinley, which served as a stronghold to defend Casco Bay. The fort was an active military base until just after World War II, at which time it was closed down, and the buildings completely abandoned.

Someone – _someone brilliant_, Will thought – hatched the idea of investing in the land, and building a beautiful gated community overlooking the bay. Most of the original buildings still stood, and were used to this day, although most had been heavily renovated. The barracks had been transformed into elegant town homes, and 'officers row' was now a beautiful, tree-lined lane, dotted with stately homes. The parade grounds, where the picnic was held last night, was the central point of Diamond Cove.

They sped away toward the docks, where Ed pointed out the only full-service restaurant on the island – aptly named 'Diamond's Edge' – and made sure to inform Will that it, too, was only open from May until October.

"Once the fall arrives, you'll be amazed at the drop in the population. The last census showed us hovering right around eighty full-time residents."

"Really?" Will asked, pleasantly surprised that the number was that low. He grinned to himself.

_Paradise._

Sunday morning was about as bright and glorious as a spring morning in Maine could be. As Elizabeth sat on the ferry, headed back to Diamond Cove from Portland, she lamented this fact, only because she was feeling just a _tad bit_ hung over. On any other day, she would have sprawled out in her seat, soaking in as much sunshine as she possibly could during the forty minute trip. Not today. Today, she sunk as low as she was physically able to in her chair and adjusted her sunglasses, then prayed that a giant cumulus cloud would just come along and obliterate the sun. Just for a little while.

She could only imagine how Mary must be feeling this morning. Sweet, innocent Mary, one of her co-workers at the library, who rarely drank alcohol, yet had thought that going out with 'the girlies' – Elizabeth, Charlotte and Kate – to celebrate Charlotte's twenty-fifth birthday 'sounded like a hoot'.

_Oh, it was a hoot, alright_, Elizabeth thought. In actuality, Elizabeth rarely drank alcohol either, and when she did, she tried to limit it to beer, or the occasional glass of wine. Last night, though, Charlotte had persuaded her to drink cocktails with _real_ liquor...and with bizarre names. _I can't believe I asked that hot bartender for a Screaming Orgasm_, she thought, shaking her head. At the time it had seemed hilarious; today, not so much.

As the ferry docked, she roused herself and shuffled off, ready to make the walk home to her little house, straight to her bed, with a pit-stop at her medicine cabinet for some ibuprofen. With each step that she took, she heard the word _pillow pillow pillow pillow_ repeating over and over again in her head.

She was just headed down the lane away from the docks when the sound of a horn tooted behind her. Grinning, she spun around, and saw Ed sitting in the driver's seat of Vixen. _Ahh, a ride_, she thought, before she noticed the passenger. Or passengers, she realized, when she saw the smaller person in the back seat.

"Lizzy!" Ed called out. "Heading home?"

She nodded. "Making my way, slowly but surely."

"Hop in, I'll give you a lift."

"Thanks Ed." She smiled at him as she walked toward the cart, and glanced at Mr Darcy, who seemed to be staring at her, though it was hard to tell, as he was wearing sunglasses as well. "Good morning," she mumbled quietly, trying to be pleasant, and he did it again; the brisk nod. No attempt at a smile, no 'good morning', just that damned nod. She climbed into the back, suddenly wishing she had just kept walking.

Jack piped up. "Dad, you said we could switch when we got to the docks. Can I sit up front now?"

Will turned back to his son. "Oh, yeah, I did say that, didn't I? Um, sure, come on up." He made sure Jack was buckled in properly before climbing into the back seat.

The golf cart wasn't very wide, and as such, when Will climbed back in, he was pretty much sitting shoulder to shoulder with Elizabeth. She noticed then, for the first time, just how tall he really was; his knees were practically drawn up to his chest. He rested his hands on his thighs – nicely muscled thighs, at that – and she couldn't help but see how large those hands were. He had dark hair, almost black, cut moderately short and close to his head, and he had an absolutely gorgeous profile. Thankfully, Ed chose that moment to jump-start the conversation, interrupting her silent, secret study of the man sitting next to her.

"I've been showing Will and Jack the island, giving them a little tour," he said jovially. "Trying to fill them in on some of the more interesting history."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's nice."

Jack spun around as much as he possibly could under the seat belt, and peered at Elizabeth around the front seat. "You live here too?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Where?"

"Mmm...sort of near you. I live in Mr and Mrs Gardiner's guesthouse."

"Did you live here all the time?"

Elizabeth's brows furrowed. "You mean when I was little?"

"Yeah."

"No, I grew up in Massachusetts."

He seemed to think about that for a minute. "Where's that?"

"Oh, it's not too far away."

"I lived in New York, that's far away."

Elizabeth smiled. "Farther away than Massachusetts, that's for sure."

_What a cute kid_, Elizabeth thought. She noticed that his father was shifting his legs and fidgeting, rubbing his palms on his thighs a little, perhaps uncomfortable that his son was engaging her in conversation.

"Did you stay in Portland last night?" Ed asked her casually. "We missed you at the picnic."

"I did, it was Charlotte's birthday, so a few of us went out to celebrate."

"Good for you." Ed turned his attention back to Will. "You know, if you want to learn the ins and outs of Portland, Lizzy would be a great tour guide. She's done more walking in that city in the two years she's been here than I have in my entire life, I think. What do you say, Lizzy?"

_Thanks for the putting me on the spot, Ed, that's what I say._ Instead of speaking what was really on her mind, she dredged up what she hoped would pass for a polite grin. "Sure," she said, casting a sidelong glance at Will, just in time to see him frown. "Um, if you need help finding your way around, I could...help you out. I guess."

"No, thanks, I – I don't think I'll need help. I think – um, Jack and I can find our way around just fine," Will replied, mortified that he was stumbling over his words. He cleared his throat. "We don't need any help. No help needed."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes slightly. "Whatever," she muttered quietly under her breath, wincing slightly when she saw his head turn toward her out of the corner of her eye; he'd obviously heard her remark.

Conversation ceased, and as they pulled up in front of the Gardiner home, Elizabeth climbed out and grabbed her belongings. "Well, enjoy the rest of the tour," she said, attempting to sound jovial, purposely directing her comment to the occupants of the front seat.

"See you later, Lizzy," Ed said. "I may be over to fix that faucet this afternoon."

"No rush," Elizabeth replied, "it's not dripping too badly." She smiled down at Jack. "Bye Jack, have fun today." Finally, she looked at Mr Darcy; he was clearly looking at her from behind his sunglasses, but remained completely stone-faced. Her smile faded from her lips, even though she tried to keep it pasted there, just for show. "Have a lovely day, Mr Darcy." And she waited..._wait for it, wait for it_...and there it was.

The nod.

"Miss Bennet."

* * *

_Well, there you have it. Would love it if you left a review, so please do! Thanks!_


	4. Chapter 3

An early post...originally this was going to happen tomorrow morning, but my day is quickly getting away from me. Thanks to everyone reading and leaving reviews, I appreciate it! Keep 'em coming!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Monday ended up being a very rainy and cool day, and for that, Will was grateful; he had no way to avoid the boxes piled high throughout the house, waiting to be unpacked. With Jack's 'help' – using the term loosely – he managed to tackle their two bedrooms, the living room, and the kitchen. One task he didn't look forward to was hanging pictures, so he decided to let those wait for another day, when he wasn't quite so tired. The boxes in the office would wait as well; it wasn't as if he had actual _work_ to do in there, and most of the boxes contained only books anyway. He set up his computer and his printer on the desk, and called the cable company to inquire about WiFi access, something he definitely wanted to have.

He still had a lot to do, but had managed to make a tremendous amount of progress. Jack had spotted the photo albums that held the pictures of himself with his mother, and so they decided that he should keep those in his own bedroom. That way, he could look at them whenever he wanted to. The albums had been kept in a box marked 'Anne', which also held their wedding photos and other keepsakes from their time spent together, things that had no meaning to anyone except Will.

_Eleven years, reduced to one box_. He had placed it in the office for the time being, but had already decided that he wouldn't unpack it completely. He had come to the conclusion that there was a difference between remembering someone, and having reminders of them everywhere. He would always remember Anne, but felt that having things that belonged to them, belonged to _her_, scattered throughout the house, would not be healthy for him. And he had Jack, after all; he was the greatest reminder of Anne.

Both Darcys slept soundly that night, and the following morning found them headed to Portland on the ferry. Jack was getting restless and eager to explore, and after spending all of the previous day in the house getting settled, Will was starting to feel the same way. _We need to get the lay of the land_, he'd told Jack, so that's just what they were going to do.

Immediately, he spotted Elizabeth Bennet sitting up toward the bow. Her face was tilted up into the sun, and for a long moment, his gaze was riveted to her. His eyes wandered over the graceful line of her throat, down her arm, to her small hand, where it was draped over the back of the seat next to her. Her hair was a dark, rich brown, and spilled down over the back of her seat in soft waves. His eyes wandered to her legs, clad in a pair of capris, baring most of her calves. She had them stretched out, ankles crossed and resting on the row of seats in front of her. They weren't especially long legs, not at all, but still, they were shapely and not too muscular….

He felt embarrassed when he realized just what it was he was doing, and so he dragged his eyes away, clearing his throat self-consciously as he turned to his son...who also was staring at Elizabeth.

"That's the lady we know. Miss Bennet," Jack said, raising a hand to point at her.

Will reached up and quickly lowered his son's hand. "Don't point, it's not polite."

"We should say hi."

"Um, not right now, she looks tired. Plus, we really don't know her well enough to just go and talk to her."

Jack stared into his father's eyes earnestly. "But when we were at the picnic, I didn't know any of the other kids, 'n you just told me to go 'n talk to them anyway."

Internally, Will groaned. _Smarty pants_. "Well...that's different. Kids are different from adults."

"How come?"

_Groan._ "Well...just...it's easier for them. It's important for you to meet other kids, so that you have friends to play with this summer, and so you'll know some of them when you go to kindergarten."

"You gotta have friends too."

Will chuckled. "I have friends. I met Mr Bingley and his sister, they were very nice. And Mr and Mrs Gardiner too, and remember, I talked to Sam's parents when we left the picnic."

Jack glanced over toward Elizabeth again. "How come Miss Bennet isn't your friend then?"

"It's – it's not that she's not my friend, I just...I haven't talked to her much, that's all." _Because when I do, I end up acting like a complete moron._

"She's sittin' by herself, we can just go over there."

"No, Jack, we'll stay here." He glanced up to see how close they were to land. "It looks like we'll be docking soon anyway, just another twenty minutes or so."

At that moment, Elizabeth sat up and stretched, and Will watched as she turned in their direction. Jack noticed her movement as well, and immediately began waving. "Hi Miss Bennet!"

Elizabeth was startled to see Jack Darcy waving to her when she turned to look across the long expanse of seats between her and where he sat with his father. She waved back, a genuine smile lighting her face when she saw the young boy. His father remained stone-faced, leading her to believe that he wasn't quite as pleased as his son to be seeing her.

She watched as Jack turned to his father, and after a short conversation, came walking across the boat to her.

"Hi, Miss Bennet," he said, smiling at her.

"Hi there, Jack," Elizabeth said, grinning at him. "Where are you off to today?"

"My dad is taking me to Portland, we're goin' to the store to get some food and stuff. Where are you goin'?"

"Unfortunately, I have to go to work."

"Oh. Where do you work?"

"I work at the library," Elizabeth said, grinning at his questions. Once again, she was struck by the beautiful blue color of his eyes – they almost looked as though they had a tint of purple to them. "Do you have a car in Portland?"

Jack nodded. "My dad has a truck. He said we're gonna walk around today though 'cause we need to lay the land."

"Oh...oh, get the lay of the land, you mean?" Elizabeth asked, momentarily confused.

"Yeah, get the _lay_ of the _land_," Jack said, enunciating the words and nodding again. "It means we need to find everything so the next time we come we don't get lost."

"Right. You don't want to get lost, although Portland isn't very big. Do you have a map?"

Jack shrugged. "I dunno. I think my dad has to get one when we get there."

Elizabeth reached down into her ever-present backpack and pulled out an old, wrinkled copy of a Portland street map. "Tell your dad he can use this one, it's the best. I've written on it a little, but that's okay, it's still in good shape."

Jack looked down at the map, then back up at her. "Can you show me where the library is?"

For the next fifteen minutes or so, Elizabeth looked over the map with Jack. She showed him where the ferry would dock, where the library was, and the location of the Children's Museum. He pointed at certain things and asked what they were, and she was happy to explain what she could to him. For a young child, he was able to listen quite attentively.

Will watched from his seat as Elizabeth interacted with his son, and his heart gave a gentle lurch in his chest. Not because of her, or the fact that he was coming to the realization that she really was very, very pretty. No, it was because of Jack; watching as he sat with her, his head bent over what looked to be a map. It made him think of Anne, and the fact that Jack should be sitting with his motherright now, poring over a map with _her_, looking at all the things they would explore and investigate together.

He thought of Anne often, of course, though now, the anger, the consumptive sorrow and paralyzing grief that had gripped him for the first year or so after her death, had lessened tremendously. Memories of her still snuck up on him, especially when Jack made a particular facial expression that reminded Will of her. Very often, he would do or say something that would strike Will as funny, and he knew that Anne would have been laughing right along with him, marveling at the little boy they had created together. He had her eyes, that odd but intriguing shade of violet-blue, and when they crinkled at the corners, he was definitely his mother. Sometimes those eyes would remind him of the enormous loss his son, and he himself, had suffered, and for just a brief moment, the sorrow and grief would return.

Will sighed, pushing his morose thoughts away, just as he always did whenever they threatened to overwhelm. As the ferry docked, he realized his son wasn't going to come back to him on his own, so he gave up waiting and walked over to where Jack sat with Elizabeth. She glanced up as he approached, and again, he was struck by her simple beauty.

"Good morning," Elizabeth said to him, smiling widely and waiting to see how long it would take him to nod at her.

"Good morning, Miss Bennet," Will replied softly. Her warm brown eyes were focused on him, and he was relieved when Jack pried his attention away from her intense gaze.

"Dad, Miss Bennet said we could keep her map, she said it's the best," Jack said, holding up the somewhat tattered paper, his excitement obvious.

"That's not necessary, Jack, we can get one when we get off the boat."

Jack frowned. "But she showed me everything on _this_ one, and now I know where we hafta go."

"But she might need it," Will replied.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, no, I never – I never use it anymore, it's fine."

Elizabeth discreetly observed the man standing in front of her, and guessed that he was only a few years older than she. At first, she had thought him maybe ten years older, but she supposed she came to that conclusion as a result of his behavior. He _seemed_ older. And, once again, she was struck by his size, just as she had been on Sunday, when they were riding in Vixen. _He must be at least six-two or six-three_, she guessed, which made him a good seven or eight inches taller than her.

Will turned to address Jack. "I'm sure there's a store near the dock that sells them."

"Aw, c'mon Dad, I wanna use this one," Jack pleaded. "We can give it back when we're done."

"Really, Mr Darcy, it's just a map," Elizabeth interjected, in disbelief that he wouldn't take the stupid thing from her, at least for his son. "Please take it. If you want, you can return it, though it's really not necessary." She heard him sigh, and for some reason, the sound annoyed her. She shook her head slightly and pursed her lips, baffled by his response to her small gesture.

Will noticed her reaction, of course, and immediately felt self-conscious. "Okay, we'll use that map, that's fine. Let's go Jack, everyone's getting off the ferry," he said, ruffling Jack's hair, trying to hide his discomfort while he excused them as quickly as possible.

"'K. Thanks for the map, Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth bent slightly toward Jack. "You're very welcome, Jack." She glanced back up at Will. "Enjoy your day in Portland."

Will nodded. "Thank you."

She watched as father and son walked off the ferry, giving them ample time to get a good distance ahead of her. The last thing she wanted was to end up having to walk with them – with _him_ – through the streets of Portland.

* * *

"I just don't get it," Elizabeth said, shaking her head at Charlotte Lucas. The two women were seated on the grass outside of the Portland Children's Library, in the shade of a massive elm tree, enjoying lunch. "But then again, I guess I don't really care." She had just finished explaining William Darcy's odd behavior to her friend.

"Maybe you _should_ care. Maybe you've knocked him off balance a little," Charlotte replied around a mouthful of chicken salad. "Maybe he's so astounded by your beauty that he can't think straight around you."

Elizabeth laughed. "Fat chance. I think he just doesn't want to bother being nice to me. I mean, he's perfectly friendly to Ed and Maddie, but then, Maddie helped him find the house, Ed took him around the island...he kind of _has_ to be nice to them, right?"

Charlotte shrugged. "I guess. Why did he move here?"

It was Elizabeth's turn to shrug. "I don't know."

"And he has a kid?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, Jack, who is adorable."

"Wife?"

Another shrug. "I have no idea."

Charlotte's eyes opened a bit wider. "How could you have no idea? Didn't you check for a ring?"

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open. "No, I didn't check for a ring! Why would I do that?"

"You mean to tell me," Charlotte said, a smile slowly spreading across her mouth, "that you sat shoulder to shoulder with this man in Maddie's little cart, examining – by your own words – how tall he was, how handsome he was, and then you saw him again on the ferry, and you never looked for a ring? Oh please."

Elizabeth laughed again. "I didn't! It didn't even occur to me. I have no interest in – in _that_. I mean, there's no way I could miss how nice looking he is, I'm not blind for Pete's sake, but looking for a ring would be pointless."

Charlotte sighed and turned serious. "Lizzy, you have to start thinking about it. And I'm not talking about this Darcy guy anymore, forget him. But it's time for you to move on."

"I have moved on, Charlotte, how can you even say that? Everything that happened to me – it's part of the past, I've put it behind me. I don't blame myself for any of it. Even the stuff with George...I know none of it was my fault. But moving on doesn't have to include putting myself into another relationship, you know. I'm happy as I am; I have friends, my family, I love my job, I love where I live...I'm happy."

Charlotte smiled softly. "I know you have all those things, and you're very lucky. Someday, though...you may feel as though you're missing out on something, and that will be the big test, I suppose."

"The big test?"

"Yeah, you know...letting yourself fall for someone."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't need another 'someone'." Her eyebrows came together as she glared at Charlotte. "And aren't _you_ the pot calling the kettle black! Where's your '_someone'_?"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I'm not the 'someone' type. Oh, wait, I take that back. I _am_ the someone type, I just don't want the same someone all the time." She winked, making Elizabeth laugh. "I'm a _multiple someones_ type of person."

"You can't tell me that there hasn't been a single guy that has interested you beyond a one-night stand. You haven't wanted to go further than that with any of them?"

"I'm not cut out for that whole relationship thing, so no, there hasn't been a single one."

"I don't believe you. And if you can say you're not into that _whole relationship thing_, why can't I say the same?"

"Because I know all about you, I know about Bill, I know about George, and you are soooo a relationship person." Elizabeth didn't say anything for a long moment, and Charlotte began to feel like she'd pushed it too far. "I'm – I'm not trying to be pushy or intrusive," she said, her voice quiet. "I'm sorry if I got carried away."

Elizabeth shook her head. "You didn't get carried away," she said softly, looking straight ahead. "I just – I can't imagine going through all that again, trying to attain some – some elusive _thing_ that only exists in fairy tales. I mean, I know some people find it, and I thought I had it, once...but I was so wrong. I'm happy, _right now_. My life is wonderful, _right now_." She paused again, taking a bite of her sandwich before continuing. "Are there degrees of happiness, do you think?"

Charlotte shrugged. "I don't know. I suppose there can be."

"I mean, can someone say, 'I'm really, really happy, but I'd be happier if...'?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah, sure, I guess so. I think there are people who do that all the time, people who always want more. Some people are never happy...the grass is always greener, as the saying goes."

Elizabeth smiled a small smile. "Well, then, I must be okay, because I never think like that. I just – I'm just...happy."

* * *

Will and Jack spent an exhausting but fun day exploring the sights of Portland. Will had been surprised at what the seaside city had to offer; in essence, it offered what any large city would, but on a much smaller scale.

One of the first things he did was to stop at one of the chain grocery stores to shop for food; he knew that the freight boat would bring his groceries over later in the day, so he wanted to get the boring, mundane shopping out of the way while Jack was still energetic. He bought enough to stock them up for a week, and knew that he would use grocery shopping as an excuse to come to the mainland with Jack at least once a week.

Jack was impatient to visit the Children's Museum, so that became their primary destination after they left the grocery store. It was a short walk, and Will was surprised to see that not only was it a museum, it was also the home of a Children's Theater as well. Jack was enthralled with the 'What About Whales' exhibit; a giant inflatable whale took center stage, and children could walk inside of it to learn more about the huge creatures. After spending two hours at the museum, but only seeing a small portion of it, Will immediately paid for a membership, knowing it would be a place that he would return to with Jack again and again.

They spent only a few more hours in Portland, wandering around, finding bookstores and toy shops and restaurants to try at some point in the future. They strolled through 'Old Port', down the cobblestone streets, and stopped to watch a magician who was performing down near the waterfront. The Portland Lobster Company was their choice for lunch, and they both enjoyed bowls of clam chowder from their table out on the long pier that housed the restaurant.

The elementary school wasn't close enough to walk to, so Will told Jack that the next time they took the ferry over, they'd hop in the truck and take a ride so that they could check it out. Ed Gardiner had mentioned that there was an old military fort out on Cape Elizabeth that he'd thought Jack and Will might like to see, so Will thought that he'd combine a trip to the school with a drive out to Cape Elizabeth in the next week or so.

Returning home later, Will began to make phone calls, first to the school district so that he could enroll Jack in kindergarten, and then to a couple of pediatrician's offices. He needed to have a physician lined up for Jack, and though he needed one for himself as well, he knew that if anything came up as far as his own health, he could contact his doctor back in New York. Jack was a different story; as the injury at the picnic had more than adequately demonstrated, it was important for Jack to have a pediatrician nearby.

Toward the end of the afternoon, Will and Jack headed down to the docks to pick up the groceries from the freight boat (courtesy of Ed Gardiner helping out with Vixen), and then went home to put everything away. Ed had told Will about an island resident who was looking to sell one of the two golf carts that he owned, and promised Will that it was in excellent condition.

"Oh, it's nothing like Vixen, here," Ed had said, patting Vixen's 'nose' and laughing, "it's just a two-seater, but it's a nice one just the same. I think you'll like it." He had agreed to take Will to the seller's house the following day so that he could properly introduce them.

After cooking dinner, Will and Jack curled up on the couch to watch 'Toy Story', but it didn't take too long before Jack's fatigue from the busy day caught up with him. Will shut off the movie and gazed down at the top of his son's head. He had completely stretched out atop Will, his head pillowed on his father's chest. For a long while, Will just laid there with him, enjoying the feel of his son's warm body draped over his, the sound of his steady breathing the only noise in the room. He wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tighter to his body, kissing the top of his head, before rising slowly to carry him to bed.

As Will gently laid him down and pulled the blankets up over him, Jack's blue eyes opened briefly, and he smiled sweetly at Will. "G'night daddy," he murmured, burrowing further under the covers.

"Night Jack," Will replied, leaning forward to kiss him on the head once again. "Love you."

"Love you too," Jack whispered, rolling over to go back to sleep.

* * *

The next morning found Will standing with Jack, Ed, and Tom Ingram, the seller of the golf cart, at Tom's home. Tom had pulled the cart around so that Will could check it out.

"It's very...yellow," Will said, trying to be polite. It was, in fact, the most horrible shade of neon yellow that he'd ever seen.

"Well, it was my wife's cart, but seeing as her eyesight's gotten so bad, she don't drive her much anymore. She likes yellow, ya, it's her favorite color."

Will nodded. "It's...bright."

Jack tugged on Will's arm. "Can we paint it black and put stripes on it?"

Will glanced at Jack, unsurprised by his eagerness. "We'll see...I have to decide if I'm going to buy it first."

"Well, now, just take her for a little drive around if you want, she runs damn near perfect," Tom said, pressing the key into Will's hand. "She won't disappoint."

Will looked at Jack and wiggled his eyebrows. "Hop in, co-pilot."

"Yesss!" Jack said, pumping his fist.

They took a short drive around the neighborhood, and Will agreed with Tom's sentiments on the small, two-seat cart; it ran perfectly. He headed back in the direction of the house, and told Tom on the spot that he'd like to buy it. Tom named his price, Will wrote the check, and the cart was theirs.

"Woohoo!" Jack exclaimed excitedly. "Now we can drive all over the island. Can we go to the beach today?"

"Um...how about the pool, if it's open?" The air was still a little cool for the beach. The pool was heated, and would be much warmer.

"Okay, the pool is good too."

Tom thanked Will, and the two men shook hands before Tom left them to head back into his house. Will stood and talked with Ed for another moment.

"Okay, so, who can I get to paint this thing?" Will asked, gesturing toward his new vehicle. "I can't drive around in a cart this color, it will make people question my masculinity."

Ed chuckled. "Oh, I'd ask Charles. He does anything for anyone on the island. Jack of all trades, master of none, you know the saying. I'm sure he could take care of it for you." Ed wrote down Charles' number and gave it to Will, and the men parted ways.

After arriving back home, Will called Charles and explained the situation – and the color – of the golf cart.

"Oh, I know that cart well," Charles said, laughing. "You can see it coming from a mile away. Sounds like you got a good deal though, I know it's in good shape."

"Can you paint it, do you think?" Will asked. "Ed mentioned that you could probably take care of it."

"Oh, yeah, I've painted them before. Even painted Vixen for Maddie a while back, she was insistent on having that cart be bright red. What color are you thinking?"

Will sighed. "Well...can you do it black, with racing stripes?"

Charles laughed again. "Racing stripes, huh?"

"It's for Jack. He also wants pipes that shoot out flames."

"Well, I can't help you there, sorry," Charles said, still chuckling.

Will laughed. "Yeah, I guess the racing stripes will have to do. Hey, how's that stout coming along?"

"Funny you should ask, I just brewed up a batch yesterday. Won't be ready for quite a while yet, but when it is, you'll be the first to know. Actually, you'll be the second – Ed has a particular fondness for the stout. I still think it needs work, but we'll see how this batch turns out."

"I'd be more than happy to be your lab rat, believe me."

"I'll remember that. So, what are you up to today? Do you want me to get going on the cart right away?"

Will was surprised at the offer. "Jack and I were just going to head to the pool for a little while. I didn't think you'd be able to fit us in so quickly."

"Well, to be honest with you, I don't have much else going on. I have an appointment over on the mainland later today with Maddie, but I have time to get the cart cleaned up and get at least one coat on today, maybe a second coat tomorrow."

"Alright, that sounds great. You looking at property over in Portland?"

Charles sighed. "Well, yes and no. Maddie wants me to take a look at a building that's empty at the moment. It used to house the Sebago Lake Brewery. She knows that I want to open my own place, and I've been looking for a while, but the right spot hasn't come along."

"What happened to the Sebago Lake Brewery?"

"I don't know. Mismanagement, I suppose. They just went under. Truthfully, I thought their beer sucked."

Will laughed. "Of course it did."

"Seriously, it did. I'm not just saying that 'cause I make beer," Charles said, beginning to laugh himself. "Some of their brews were just disgusting."

"I believe you," Will replied, still smiling. "So, where am I delivering my cart to?"

Will wrote down directions to Charles' home, and after he and Jack changed into their swimsuits and grabbed towels, snacks, and drinks, they headed out. On the drive over, Will thought about the few conversations he'd had with Charles, and realized that he'd felt very comfortable around him. He had an easygoing personality, and an openness and affable nature that Will appreciated, and perhaps even envied a little.

It only took about ten minutes to get to Charles' house, as he lived just outside of Diamond Cove. Will's jaw dropped when he saw the size of the place – it had to be twice the size of his own home.

Charles came out to greet them, bounding down the front steps of the massive front porch with enthusiasm, a big smile on his face.

"Hey Will, hey Jack," he said, reaching out to shake Will's hand, and giving Jack a friendly pat on the head. "Why don't I give you a lift to the pool in your cart, then I can bring it back here to get started."

"Sounds good, Jack can sit on my lap." Will glanced up at the house again. "This is an incredible place, Charles."

Charles grinned. "Oh, thanks. This is where I grew up. That house over there," he said, pointing to another home that Will could just barely see across the large yard and through some trees, "is my sister's house. After my parents died, we split up the property, and she built her own place."

"So you've always lived here?"

"No, I lived in Portland for a while, but after my parents were killed in a car accident, I moved back. I didn't want to see the house sit empty, but I didn't want to rent it out or sell it either. It means too much to me."

Will's heart felt as though it had skipped a beat. "Your parents were killed in an accident?"

Charles nodded. "They were killed by a drunk driver on the Maine Turnpike, oh, almost seven years ago now. I was twenty-four, Caroline was twenty-two. She had just finished college...I was basically a lay-about, working at a bar in Portland, partying a lot...after that, things changed. The house and the property were left to the two of us, but she wanted something newer, so we came to a pretty good arrangement."

Jack, who apparently wasn't as oblivious to the conversation as he'd seemed, looked up at Charles. "My mommy died in a accident too. I was just a baby, so I don't remember."

The way he said it, so matter-of-factly, obviously caught Charles off-guard. His eyes shot from Jack's face to Will's. "Oh...geez, Will, I'm sorry, I had no idea," he said quietly, "I wouldn't have mentioned-."

Will waved his hand, interrupting Charles. "It's okay, don't worry about it. It was a few years ago, so it's – it's okay."

Charles, deciding then that he wouldn't make a bigger deal out of it, reached out to clap Will on the shoulder in a show of understanding. "Time heals all wounds. Sounds cliché, but it's true."

Will nodded. "I know. I'm slowly finding that out."

* * *

The pool area was almost empty, though Jack was happy to see his new friend Sam Grady there with his mom, Sarah. Will made small talk with her for a while, exchanging telephone numbers for future play dates, before venturing over to a quiet corner near the shallow end of the pool to place their things in a couple of side-by-side lounge chairs.

Of course, Jack wanted to get right in the water, so Will went in with him. They played and splashed for a while, and tossed a ball back and forth with Sam, until Will decided that now was as good a time as any to start showing Jack the basics of swimming. He held him afloat in his arms while Jack learned how to move his arms and kick his legs. By the end of the short lesson, Jack had mastered the doggy paddle, and was very proud of himself.

Sam came trotting over to the edge of the pool as their lesson was finishing up, and squatted down to talk to Jack.

"Hey Jack, my mom's takin' me to the playground, do you wanna come?"

Jack turned to his father. "Can I?"

Will glanced over to Sam's mother. "You're okay with that?"

Sarah nodded. "Of course, Sam's been dying to play with Jack since the picnic. It's no trouble at all."

Will turned to Jack. "Go ahead and dry off good with your towel, and then put your sandals on, okay?"

Jack was out of the water in a flash, with Will following a bit slower behind him. He helped Jack with his shirt, and fastened the straps of his sandals snugly. Catching his son's eye before he bolted off, Will reminded him to be polite and listen to Sam's mom.

"I will, Dad. Bye!" Jack responded, before heading over to a smiling Sam.

"Thanks Sarah," Will called out, and she waved in response. He watched as the two boys ran across the grass, ahead of her, to the playground. _How easy it is for them_, he thought. He made a mental note to find out from Sarah what school Sam would be going to, hoping that it was the same one that he'd enrolled Jack in. There were three options available for elementary schools in Portland; the public school system, a Montessori school, or Breakwater, which was a private school.

Although Will had leaned toward Breakwater at first, he'd changed his mind after talking to the principal at the public school, located in South Portland. He'd read up a great deal on the Portland school system and liked what he'd learned, and thought the principal was very enthusiastic and welcoming. They encouraged parent participation through VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools), a program that gave parents ample opportunity to be active within the educational system.

Will sighed, thinking that he still had so much more to do before he really felt settled. Realizing he wouldn't be getting anything done from his spot by the pool, he decided to just stop thinking for a while, and take a moment to relax. He was just about to sit back in his chair when he spotted Caroline Bingley strolling slowly across the grass toward the pool enclosure, talking on her cell phone as she walked.

_She's an attractive woman_, Will thought. _Tall, blonde, blue eyed_. He almost laughed out loud, as he had the fleeting, out-of-the-blue thought that she was his 'type'. _That's a joke_, he admitted to himself. The truth was, he had no _type_; his type had been Anne, and _only_ Anne. Yes, Anne had been blonde, though a darker blonde than Caroline, and their eyes, though similar shades of blue, were not at all alike; there was a warmth to Anne's eyes that he hadn't seen in Caroline's. No, there had never been any type for him; there had only been Anne.

Caroline had spotted him, and he realized that she had probably noticed him staring at her, and probably thought he was ogling her. Sighing, he looked away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. She headed over in his direction, a smile lighting her face.

"I heard you were down here," she said, approaching Will's chair.

"Oh really?" Will asked, partly returning her smile.

"Yes, really. I stopped in at my brother's house to see if he wanted to go for a swim, and he was busy painting your new golf cart."

"Ah, yes, my canary yellow cart. How does it look?"

"Well, honestly, it kind of resembles a large bumblebee right now – black and yellow. I can't believe you bought Eunice Ingram's cart! You could seriously damage your retinas if you look at that thing for too long without sunglasses on."

Will laughed. "Yeah, well, now you know why your brother offered to paint it right away. There was no way I was turning him down."

"Well, he'll do a good job," Caroline said with obvious affection for her brother. She glanced around the pool area. "Is Jack with you?"

"Yes and no. We swam for a while, but he decided to ditch me and head down to the playground with Sam Grady and his mother. I think he and Sam hit it off, despite the soccer ball incident."

"Oh, the Gradys are nice people. They've only been here a few years, but have fit right in." She looked at the empty chair on the other side of Will. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Will gestured to the chair. "Of course not, please sit."

He watched as Caroline placed her bag down and removed her sunglasses. Very slowly – at least, it seemed deliberately slowly to him – she shimmied out of her shorts, and then raised her arms to remove her tank top, revealing a near perfect body, displayed to full advantage in a black bikini. Suddenly feeling a little flushed and slightly uncomfortable, he turned away, focusing back on the pool and its occupants, wondering if that little show was intended for him, or if he was just reading too much into her actions.

"Oooh, it's still a bit chilly for sunbathing," Caroline said quietly as she stretched out in the chair next to Will's. "The water must be cold."

"Actually," Will started to say, mortified when it came out as croak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Actually, it's not bad, Jack and I were in for a while. The water is crystal clear, and you can't even smell the chlorine."

"Oh, there's no chlorine in that pool, it's salt water. Nice, isn't it? I've always hated swimming in chlorinated pools, the way they smell, and the way the chemicals make your hair and skin feel. This used to be chlorine, but the island association changed it over to salt a few years back. Best thing they ever did."

Will nodded. "Yeah, it's nice."

It was silent for a moment as the two reclined in their chairs soaking in the moderate warmth from the sun. Caroline took advantage of Will's eyes being closed to study him a little more thoroughly. Chiseled features, full lips, perfectly straight nose, thick hair..._what a work of art_, she thought, letting her eyes roam freely from his toned, athletic upper body, all the way down his long, muscular legs. _Even his feet are sexy_. She examined his left ring finger a little more closely, and saw no sign of an indentation or even a faint tan line to indicate that he ever wore a ring, or at least wore one recently.

At that point, she decided to be bold and ask about this mysterious, missing wife.

"So, Will," she started casually.

"Hmm?" he responded without moving or opening his eyes.

"Is your wife – is Jack's mom – here already, or coming to join you?"

The question was completely unexpected, and Will immediately thought two things; one, Charles wasn't a big-mouth, and two, Caroline was fishing. That second thought had led him to question, again, her little mini-striptease of a few minutes ago, and made him wonder if his instincts had been right.

"Why do you ask?" he responded, figuring he'd just answer her question with one of his own.

"Oh, well, I'm just wondering. Not for any reason...just – well, Maddie Gardiner said you were married, and so I was just...asking."

_Maddie told her I was married? _Something about that struck Will as peculiar, especially since he and Caroline had met _after_ Will had told Maddie about Anne.

Will cleared his throat before speaking again. "Um, no, my wife – she isn't coming to the island."

"Oh," Caroline replied, obviously puzzled by his answer. "Oh. Well that's too bad, I was looking forward to meeting her." A dozen more questions flitted through Caroline's mind. _Why isn't she __coming? What kind of wife doesn't stick like glue to a husband like this?_ Of course, she'd have to figure out the answers to those questions herself, and thought that she'd probably have to bribe Charles to assist her. She didn't want to come on as nosy or pushy, but at the same time, the curiosity was killing her. _There has to be more to this than meets the eye._

Will, thinking now was the perfect time to change the subject, decided to ask Caroline what she did for a living, but was interrupted by the sight of Jack and the Gradys heading back to the pool. He smiled as he watched Jack and Sam converse animatedly, cracking each other up and looking as if they'd known each other for years.

Once inside the pool area, Jack trotted over to Will. "Dad, can we go back in?"

"Sure. Can you say hello to Miss Bingley? You met her at the picnic, remember?"

Jack turned to Caroline and gave her a big smile. "Hi Miss Bingley."

"Hi Jack, how's your lip? All better?"

"Yeah, it's good, it doesn't hurt anymore." He looked at his father again. "Can we go in now?"

Will began to rise from his seat. "Alright, alright, let's go. Excuse us," he said to Caroline.

She watched as he walked away, chewing on her bottom lip as she admired his perfect backside. _My oh my_. She'd have to start digging, and soon.

An hour later, Will was feeling thoroughly waterlogged, though Jack and Sam were still going strong. Caroline remained over in the corner, now stretched out on her stomach, and truthfully, Will was in no hurry to join her again. Something had changed, he could feel it. For some reason, he felt like a bug under a microscope. It vaguely reminded him of how he used to feel when he lived in New York, though not to the same degree. There, he felt as though he was the proverbial goldfish in a bowl; no privacy, every aspect of his life discussed and dissected by family and strangers alike. It was one of the reasons he left; he refused to let his son's childhood, his entire life for that matter, become fodder for speculation.

This odd new feeling about Caroline was too bad, really, because initially, he'd found her very easy to talk to – unlike Elizabeth Bennet, who somehow managed to turn him into a fourteen-year-old boy whenever she was in his immediate vicinity. Granted, he'd never been especially verbose around people he didn't know well, but around her, he was a bumbling idiot. A _rude_, bumbling idiot.

Will rested against the back of the pool in the deep end, arms stretched out along the sides, and watched as Jack and Sam played together in the shallow end. His attention was diverted by the sound of a cart zipping up the lane toward the pool. Over the hum of the electric engine, he could hear two women laughing, and was pleasantly surprised to see Maddie behind the wheel of Vixen. Her passenger was none other than the object of his previous thoughts: Elizabeth Bennet. They were still laughing about something, and before Elizabeth left the cart, he saw that she scanned the pool area.

Elizabeth spotted Caroline Bingley in one of the lounge chairs, and groaned quietly.

"What was that for, dear?" Maddie asked, as she pulled to a stop in the little parking area that was reserved for pool guests.

"Caroline is here," she said, annoyance evident in her tone. Her eyes lit on Jack, and she grinned. "Oh, and there's Jack, which means..." her voice trailed off as she looked around the pool area again. "Yup, there's his father."

"Will's a nice man, isn't he?" Maddie asked.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I have no idea if he is or isn't, honestly. He barely speaks to me. I mean, not that we've had a lot of chances to speak, but he's very...I don't know, standoffish maybe? I think he doesn't like me very much."

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, how could he not like you? He doesn't even know you."

"Well, he's not very friendly to me, put it that way. Not that it matters. Jack is a cutie, though. He came and sat with me on the ferry for a little while yesterday, I showed him all the great places to go in Portland. He's a smart little boy."

They both watched as Will rose from the pool. Elizabeth couldn't help but notice that he was in fantastic shape as he walked over to his chair, next to Caroline's.

"Oh, God, of course he's with Caroline," Elizabeth said flatly. "She doesn't waste any time, does she?"

Maddie frowned. "She was asking me about him after he left the picnic the other night. I tried to be circumspect with my answers, but I suppose she'll find out soon enough."

"Find out what?"

"That he's not married. I knew at that point that he wasn't, but...I didn't really tell her the whole truth. She asked me if he was divorced, and I said that he wasn't, which actually_ is_ the truth...so I believe she assumes that he's married. Maybe she's found out since then that he was, but isn't now."

Elizabeth shook her head, thoroughly confused. "Wait. What? You just said he wasn't divorced. That makes no sense."

"He's not divorced, he's a widower. He told me his wife died a few years ago."

Elizabeth's face fell. "Oh. Oh, that's awful," she said softly, truly meaning it. "Poor Jack, growing up without a mom."

"Mmm. He's a sweet boy, though, like you said, so Will must be doing something right. I'd hate to see the likes of Caroline Bingley getting her hooks into his father." She shuddered dramatically. "That's the last thing that man needs." Once again, she paused. "I think that maybe that's why they moved here," Maddie said thoughtfully, tilting her head. "I think that maybe he needed a new beginning with his son." She smiled brilliantly. "And what better place to begin again than on our lovely island, right?"

Elizabeth returned her smile. "True, what better place? I speak from experience." She climbed out of the cart. "Thanks for the lift. Good luck with Charles in Portland, I hope it works out for him."

Despite her feelings about Caroline Bingley – which she had good reason for – Elizabeth was very fond of her brother Charles. He was one of the first friends she'd made when she moved here, and she instantly felt at ease with him. About two months after she was firmly settled in, he'd asked her out on a date, but she'd turned him down; she just didn't feel that way for him, and honestly, the last thing she wanted to think about at that time was dating _anyone_. Of course, he didn't know what she'd been through, and that she was still trying to heal from everything that had happened during the eighteen months prior to her move. Still, despite the fact that she turned him down, they became fast friends, and he always managed to make her smile, no matter what was going on in her life.

"Are you working at the restaurant tonight?" Maddie asked before Elizabeth walked away.

"I am, I'll probably stay at Kate's place, and go to the library from there in the morning." She glanced at her watch. "I'll probably only stay here for an hour or so, then I'll have to get home to get ready."

Kate O'Leary had also become a very good friend of Elizabeth's since she had moved to the island. She had been friends with Charlotte long before Elizabeth moved to the Portland area, and now the three young women were a very tight trio, spending a lot of time together. Kate was also a server and back-up bartender at Grace, and had helped Elizabeth out tremendously when she had started working there.

The restaurant itself was an old church that had been converted into one of the premier spots for fine dining in Portland, and the beauty of it alone drew throngs of people through its doors every night. Stained glass windows flooded the large, open dining room with a dazzling array of colors, and set against the modern furnishings and an upscale bar – placed up high, where previously, an altar would have stood – the restaurant had a unique atmosphere, with nothing else like it anywhere in the Portland area. The icing on the cake was, of course, the unbelievable cuisine.

"Ed and I are overdue for a nice dinner out. Maybe I'll persuade him to take the ferry over and meet me after I finish up my business with Charles."

"Well, if you do, make sure you come to Grace and get a table in my section, I'll take care of you."

"You always do, dear, you always do. Okay, I'm off then, maybe I'll see you tonight. Toodles!"

Elizabeth made her way into the pool area, and began to walk down toward the opposite end from where Will and Caroline sat. Before she could get too far, she heard a familiar voice call out.

"Hi Miss Bennet!"

She turned to see Jack waving at her from the shallow end. He paddled his way over as she approached the side of the pool and squatted down. Sam came up alongside of him, and both boys looked up at her with smiles on their faces, their hair wet and completely askew atop their heads.

"Hi Jack, hi Sam. How's the water?"

"It's great," Jack replied. He lifted one hand and examined his fingers closely. "My dad said I'm a prune 'cause I've been in so long." He held it up for Elizabeth to inspect. "See?"

She furrowed her brows as she pretended to inspect his hand closely. "Hm, you are a little bit wrinkled. How about you, Sam?"

Sam looked at his hand. "I'm a prune too."

"My dad taught me the doggy paddle. I'm gonna learn how to swim this summer," Jack said, obviously excited. "We're gonna come to the pool a lot, but I want to go to the beach and swim in the ocean too."

"I bet you'll learn very quickly."

"How come you're not at the library?"

"Oh, I work at my other job today. Sometimes I have Wednesdays off from the library."

"You have a other job too?"

"I do, I work at a restaurant." Again, the questions. She felt a wave of sadness for the little boy, who would never know his mother, and on top of that came a pang of sadness for the mother that would never get to see her son grow up.

"Are you a chef?"

Elizabeth chuckled. "No, not a chef, just a server. I bring the food to the people after the chef cooks it."

"Oh. Are you coming in the water?"

"Maybe...I need to get a little warmer first, so I think I'll just lie in a chair for a little while."

"Okay. If you come in you can swim with me and Sam."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thanks, that's nice of you."

Will was sitting up in his chair, discreetly watching from behind his sunglasses as Elizabeth chatted with Jack and Sam. Again, he thought that she was pretty, but it was odd; she didn't have that knock your socks off, blatant beauty that Caroline had, but still, something about her just...struck him.

He watched as she walked over to a chair, down at the opposite end of the pool area, and pulled off the

t-shirt and shorts she was wearing in a matter-of-fact, very un-striptease-like way. Her hair was tied back in a long, full ponytail, and she wore a simple, one-piece navy blue suit. Will found himself begrudging that it hid more than it showed...although he very much appreciated what it _did _show. She had a very nice figure, curves in all the right places... He shook his head, determined to stop his thoughts from meandering in that direction. _Again_.

Caroline had flipped over and was lying on her back, and noticed that Will was watching Elizabeth Bennet. Actually, he wasn't just watching her; he was _staring _at her, almost the same way that he had stared at _her_ when she had been walking to the pool. Oh, she had noticed his stare, even from behind his glasses. She _knew_ he had been looking.

"You've met Elizabeth, I presume?" Caroline asked Will, wanting to turn his attention back to her.

He nodded. "I have, we've run into each other a couple of times."

She smirked. "Wounded creature, that one. Ran away from a nasty husband, or some story like that," she said, rolling her eyes. "I cannot _stand_ it when people feel that they need to play the victim, or play up some great tragedy in their lives to gain the sympathy of others."

Will's brows knit together as he looked at Caroline, and he almost felt a little defensive for Elizabeth. "So...how long do you think is acceptable for a person's past to haunt them?" he asked her quietly. "I mean, does it depend on what it is that's haunting them? Or is there just an – an expiration date for feelings like that?"

The comment she'd made had struck a nerve with him, and was reminiscent of a few conversations – heated conversations – that he'd had with his father and his cousin Richard over the past year.

He could tell that Caroline was a little surprised at his response, or perhaps it was his tone of voice that threw her. She sighed loudly. "I – I don't mean any offense, of course, it's just – well, I know her story, and obviously you don't. She used to live in Boston, and-."

Will cut her off. "I'm not interested, sorry. Don't bother." The last thing he wanted to hear was Elizabeth Bennet's tale of woe; it was none of his business, and frankly, he had his own tale to deal with. "Look, I don't mean to be rude," he continued when he saw that Caroline looked taken aback, "but whatever happened to her is none of my business. We all have pasts, we all have things that – that linger. I don't need to know what those things are for her."

Caroline's eyebrows rose. "Fair enough." She couldn't help but wonder what it was that was lingering with _him_.

Will watched as Elizabeth rose from her seat and walked toward the ladder that would put her into the deep end. He was appalled when Caroline called out to her and waved, leaning in close to him when she did.

"Hello Eliza!"

Elizabeth couldn't believe it when Caroline yelled out a hello. The two women weren't friendly to each other at all, not because of something that had happened between them, but because of Caroline's abominable treatment of Charlotte's older brother John. They'd been involved for about nine months, until just very recently. Elizabeth really didn't have any respect for Caroline, and liked her even less. Obviously, by the looks of the cozy seating arrangement, she'd found a new target to prey on. If Elizabeth knew William Darcy better, if they were on friendlier terms, she'd warn him to avoid Caroline like the plague. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and really, it was no business of hers.

She waved, only to be polite, before climbing into the pool. Jack noticed her instantly, and called to her from the shallow end, where he was sitting on the wide steps with Sam.

"Miss Bennet! Are you comin' down here?"

Elizabeth went under the water and swam the entire length of the pool, until she finally surfaced directly in front of the two boys, causing them both to burst out laughing.

"You can hold your breath for a long time," Sam said. "I can't do it that long."

Elizabeth felt two additional pairs of eyes on her, but refused to glance over to the corner. She was never one to feel self-conscious, but she felt it now.

"Dad, can you come back in?" Jack yelled to his father. "Miss Bennet's swimmin' with us."

"Ah, sure, I'll come back in," Will said, with only a little hesitancy. Conversation with Caroline had completely lapsed, and Will was happy for a reason to escape. He stood up and strode over to the pool, walking down to the deep end so he could dive in and swim underwater, straight to the boys, just as Elizabeth had done.

Not one to sit around and watch the action, Caroline preferred to be a part of it. She rose and walked to the side of the pool, swaying her hips a little, slightly disappointed when Will didn't even glance toward her. She sat on the edge of the shallow end, letting her feet soak in the water.

"That's a lovely suit, Elizabeth," she said, making sure she was heard by Will as well.

"Oh, thanks," Elizabeth replied, surprised by the remark, before turning back to Jack and Sam.

"Mm, I think I had one similar to that, in high school," Caroline said, an edge of ridicule in her tone.

Elizabeth felt her skin flush, but she refused to let Caroline see it. "Oh, yeah, this one actually _is_ from my high school days – lucky for me, it still fits. You probably outgrew yours, huh?"

Will had to bite his bottom lip to stop the grin that was determined to spread across his face. He covered his laugh with a cough, but he cast a sideways glance toward Elizabeth and caught her eye, just for a moment. Her eyes were bright with amusement, though he did note the blush of embarrassment that faintly covered her cheeks. Despite that, she managed a small grin, and right then, just from this small interaction, he was able to get a clearer picture of Caroline Bingley and the type of person she was.

"Well, Jack, I think it's time that you and I headed out," Will stated. "You're turning blue."

Jack held his arm out in front of him to examine his skin closely. "Am not. But my hand is _really_ wrinkly now." He held out his hand to Will, who grabbed it, then hauled his son up against him. Jack began to laugh as Will lowered himself down under the water so that he could put Jack on his shoulders. When Will stood again, Jack looked down at Sam.

"I'm the tallest one here! Miss Bennet, look at me!"

"Wow, you _are_ tall," Elizabeth replied, smiling up at him.

"I forgot to tell you, we used the map you gave us. We didn't even get lost one time!"

"Oh, that's good. It's hard to get lost in Portland anyway."

Will stood there, Jack's hands gripping the sides of his head tightly. "Um, I didn't know you'd be here, obviously...I would have brought it."

"Oh, Will, I have _plenty_ of maps," Caroline interjected. "Why don't you swing by and pick some up? You know where my place is."

"No, I don't need any maps," Will said, unable to tear his gaze away from Elizabeth's eyes.

"I told you, you can just keep that one," Elizabeth said quietly. "It's not a big deal, I don't use it."

"No, I don't want it. I mean, we don't – we don't need it. But – but thank you."

Elizabeth shrugged, refusing to argue over a piece of paper. "Okay, that's fine."

"Alright Jack, let's go," Will said, knowing it was time to leave before he embarrassed himself further. He walked carefully up the steps and out of the pool, then lowered Jack to the ground so that they could gather their things. Before they left, Will headed over to Sarah to ask her about where Sam would be attending school. He was thrilled to hear that the boys would be enrolled together at Portland Elementary, and they briefly discussed working out some type of ferry schedule, both agreeing to revisit the idea again before the end of the summer.

"Say goodbye to Sam and his mom," Will told Jack, "and Miss Bennet and Miss Bingley."

"Bye Sam, bye Sam's mom! Bye Miss Bennet!" They started to leave the pool area, when Jack suddenly tugged on Will's hand. "Oh, wait, dad, I forgot to tell Miss Bennet something!"

Will turned around to watch his son head back to the pool again.

"Miss Bennet, we got a golf cart! It's bright yellow but my dad is having Mr Bingley paint it black and it's gonna have racing stripes and maybe pipes that shoot out flames and my dad said it will kinda be like the Batmobile."

Elizabeth laughed at his enthusiasm. "Wow, that sounds fantastic. You'll have the fanciest cart on the island."

"Yeah, it's gonna be better than Vixen I bet." He turned back to Will. "Okay dad, we can go."

Will rolled his eyes. "Yes sir."

"Bye Jack, bye Will," Caroline called out.

Jack didn't turn around, just offered a quick wave, as did his father.

The cart would be at Charles' house at least until tomorrow, so Will walked home with Jack up on his shoulders once again. He was a bundle of energy at the moment, chatting away about every little thing that had happened today, but Will knew that when they got home, he'd eat his dinner, take his bath, and be out like a light.

As they walked further, Jack became less chatty, giving Will time to think, and time to reflect on something that he'd figured out at the pool, but hadn't wanted to dwell on at the time. His reaction to Elizabeth had puzzled him, but he knew what it was, now. He was attracted to her. He'd let himself acknowledge that she was pretty, yes, but there was something else there that caused him to act the way he did when he was around her.

With Caroline, he could talk, and for the most part, he didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable. Yes, Caroline was beautiful, and would be considered stunning in some mens' eyes, he was sure. She was _attractive_, but he wasn't _attracted_. It was almost as if she was trying too hard. Funny that Elizabeth wasn't trying at all, not in the least, but here he was, feeling things – slight as they were – that he hadn't felt in years. There was just something there, something in her eyes...something that drew him in.

In a way it was odd, recognizing these feelings for what they were. It didn't feel right to him, the direction his mind had taken. It felt a whole lot wrong, actually, but he knew that was just an instinctual, habitual thing. He hadn't felt this way about anyone, hadn't had such an instant reaction to someone since...well, since Anne. He'd tried to force it, once, after she'd died, but...it hadn't worked, and he had been stupid for even trying.

Will knew one thing for sure; at the very least, he would have to try to talk to Elizabeth and apologize for being so rude, when all she had done was try to be friendly during their few, brief exchanges. He'd have to man up to that, at least, and perhaps try to become her friend.

_Tomorrow_, he thought. He'd brushed Jack off on Tuesday when Jack had asked to go to the library, only because he hadn't wanted to bump into Elizabeth. Maybe they could go there tomorrow, check the place out, and if he happened to see her...he'd be ready with something witty to say.

After a moment, he shook his head ruefully.

_Me, witty? Good luck with that._

* * *

Please let me know what you think! Thanks!


	5. Chapter 4

_Originally I had thought that I'd be posting on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but it looks like it may be Mondays or Tuesdays now. Mondays seem to work out a little better for me...for the time being, anyway. So, here's the next installment. Let's see if our as-yet uncoupled couple can make any progress. Thanks to everyone reading and taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. And thanks to my awesome betas, Jan and Mariana! _

* * *

**Chapter 4**

As it turned out, Will never did make it over to Portland with Jack on Thursday. Sam Grady had called in the morning, and had asked if Jack could spend the afternoon at his house. After talking to Sam's mother, Will had agreed to it, though he did think twice about the whole thing. He had only met Mike Grady once, at the picnic, though he had seen Sarah since then. He knew that Mike was an attorney who worked out of an office in Portland, and Sarah was a stay-at-home mom. They seemed "normal", for lack of a better word, and though he really didn't know them, he had heard from both Maddie and Caroline that they were a nice family. With that in mind, he decided to stop being overprotective and let Jack go. Sarah had offered to come and pick Jack up after lunch, but Will felt that he should at least go to see where they lived and take a peek at the house, so he told her they'd walk over.

The walk didn't take long, as no walk around Diamond Cove ever did, so they arrived at the Gradys' only ten minutes or so after leaving their own house. Sam ran outside to greet them, and Sarah asked Will in. He met Sam's older sister Jessica, who appeared to be in her early teens, and also had the pleasure of meeting the family pet, a massive Great Dane named Maximus. Will stayed for a few minutes, then located Sam and Jack in the family room, playing with a Thomas the Tank Engine train set.

"See you later, Jack," Will said, smiling at his son. "Remember your manners."

Jack glanced up at him briefly before returning his attention to his friend and the trains. "I will, bye Dad."

He told Sarah to call him if anything came up, and left the house feeling much better about leaving Jack there, now that he'd been over to visit. After all, he'd been the one encouraging Jack to talk to the other kids, and it was clear that he and Sam had really clicked. He had to loosen the reins at some point, he supposed. Still, it wasn't easy for him.

While walking, he decided to call Charles to see if he was at home, as he was curious about how the painting of the golf cart was coming along. Charles answered and told him to head on over, so Will headed out of the Cove and toward Charles' house.

Will took the opportunity to really look around him as he ambled along, and as he did, he found himself falling more and more in love with the island. It was an idyllic spot, one that he had stumbled across quite accidentally when he was looking for a place in Maine to live. He had chosen Maine randomly; at the time, it had seemed the antithesis to everything that was New York. But really, in the end, he had chosen a place that felt like it was a little removed from the craziness of city life...but still had enough of a city life within reach.

The houses on the island were remarkably well-maintained. It was obvious that the residents took pride in their homes, and cared for them meticulously. The older homes were easily discerned from the newer ones, but even the newer ones had certain aspects of design worked into the architecture that made them appear as if they had been there for decades, instead of perhaps a few years.

Will arrived at Charles' house and heard the sound of loud music coming from the backyard. Curious, he walked around back, and chuckled when he saw Charles finishing up the final coat on the now gleaming black golf cart. He had goggles on and an old pair of shorts – by the splatters of colors all over them, obviously only used for painting – and was shirtless. The sound of U2 was carrying across the yard, as Charles wielded the spray gun like a microphone.

The song finished and Will began clapping, causing Charles to spin on his heels.

"Shit, you scared the hell out of me," Charles proclaimed, pushing the goggles up to the top of his head. "You're lucky you didn't get covered with a coat of black paint."

"That wouldn't have been good," Will replied, still grinning. He looked the cart over. "It looks excellent Charles, it really does."

"Take a look at the striping I picked out, I'm hoping you like it."

Will looked a little more carefully at the cart, walking closer to it, and saw then that the stripes were actually made up of red, orange, and yellow flames that widened as they reached the back of the cart.

Will smiled widely. "They're perfect, Jack will love them."

"Oh, and these, too," Charles said, pointing to the back of the cart. "No flame-shooting pipes, but I figured these might be alright. They're just for show, but they make the cart look pretty Batmobile-ish."

Will laughed out loud when he saw the fat chrome pipes that Charles had attached to the underside of the back end of the cart. They looked like real exhaust pipes, and did give the cart a little bit of an attitude.

"Oh, Jack will flip when he sees those, that's fantastic!" He could only imagine his son's reaction. "How much do I owe you for everything?" As he spoke, he pulled his wallet out of the back pocket of his shorts.

Charles shook his head adamantly. "You don't owe me a thing."

Will's expression sobered and his eyes widened. "Charles, come on, I'm not letting you do all this for free, no way."

Charles held his hand up. "Hey, consider it my welcome gift to the island for you and Jack. Really, it was fun, and took no time at all."

"No, Charles, you need to take _something_ for it, I can't have you doing work for me for nothing."

"I don't need the money."

"Funny, I don't need it either, so you'd be helping me out by taking some."

"Nope, sorry. Hey, that brewery I checked out with Maddie yesterday has some possibilities."

Will recognized the abrupt change of topic for what it was, and let it go for the time being. Still, he glared at Charles before answering. "Really?"

"Yeah, it's...it's kind of perfect, actually. The tanks and brewing system are in good shape, the kitchen has new appliances, and the restaurant itself is clean and modern, and it isn't huge, which is nice. The bar is pristine."

"Hm. What are you going to do?"

Charles shrugged. "I don't know. Maddie told the bank that I'm seriously interested, and that I may want to buy it outright, which appealed to them. She really pushed the fact that I'm a local boy, which they like...I just have a lot to think about, I guess. It's a huge investment, and I'm just worried that most of my capital will end up being sunk into the actual beer production, and I'll end up leaving the restaurant and everything else short."

"Do you have a business plan?"

"Umm...yes?" Charles answered, looking completely unsure of himself.

Will laughed. "Your answer wasn't supposed to sound like a question."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that."

Will sighed. "Listen, what are you doing right now? Jack will be at Sam's for a couple of hours, I could...I don't know, maybe help you with some things?"

"Do you know about this kind of stuff?"

Will nodded and pursed his lips. "Um, yeah, a little, you could say."

"Up for a beer while we talk?"

Will smiled. "Always."

Charles went into the house to get them a couple of beers and some pint glasses, throwing on a t-shirt at the same time. He grabbed a pad of paper and a couple of pens, and headed out to the deck, where the two men made themselves comfortable at the table.

Almost two hours later, they hadn't moved much at all, and were now on their second beer. Will had written down a list of things that Charles had to come up with before he even thought about buying or investing in any type of business, and had gone over each item, one by one. First, a business plan, other than Charles' _'I want to own my own pub', _had to be written up. Initially, Charles had felt that it wasn't really necessary, since he wasn't applying for a loan, but Will stressed to him the importance of having a formal plan, written down, instead of one that was just stored in his mind. It helped to have every step mapped out clearly.

"You need something describing what you'd like the business to be, what – what your _goal_ is for this business. You need to write out the financial background, a sales strategy – and a marketing plan – and a projected profit and loss statement." He paused to take in the baffled look on Charles' face. "Not only that, but you need to figure out what your operations cost will be – for instance, are you brewing all the beer yourself, or will you bring in someone to help you, someone that has experience as a brewmaster? Also, you'll need additional staff, management...and an idea of the capital needed to cover those expenses."

Will paused again, watching as Charles' face fell further. "If you plan on doing anything over in the place – new tables, chairs, flooring, paint, plates – things like that will add up."

Charles groaned and dropped his head onto the table. "Fuck."

Will chuckled. "It's not that bad, Charles, it really isn't. I can help you with all of this."

He raised his head again. "You would do that?"

Will shrugged. "Sure, why not? What else have I got to do? You can consider it payment for the painting."

Charles laughed. "Why do I feel like I'll be making out in this deal?"

They were interrupted by Caroline's voice coming to them from across the yard.

"Hello, boys," she called out, waving as she came closer. "What are you two up to? No good, I assume."

"Just having a beer and relaxing. Will's giving me some business tips," Charles replied, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands across his stomach. "What are you up to?"

"I was bored, thought I'd wander over. How nice to find you here, Will," Caroline said, placing her hand on Will's shoulder.

Will waited for her to remove it, but she left it in place. "Um, I came to check out my cart. I think I may be driving it home today, by the looks of things. It's almost dry." He glanced at his watch. "Oh, actually, if you think it's ready, I should get going, I have to go pick up Jack."

"It should be all set," Charles replied, watching as Will stood abruptly, causing his sister's hand to fall back to her side. "Can we get together again soon, start hashing some of this stuff out?"

"Sure," Will said. "I think I'm heading into Portland tomorrow with Jack, but I'll be around tomorrow night, if you want to come by."

"Yeah, that works."

"In the meantime, start gathering some of the information that we talked about. Even if it's just rough figures, it's something to start with. Don't worry about getting everything perfect right off the bat, you kind of have to look at it as a work in progress for a little while."

Charles shook his head. "Man, I'm gonna owe you for this. I'll be painting your whole damn house before you know it." They both laughed. "Give me a call when you're back from Portland tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"I'm heading to Portland tomorrow morning myself," Caroline said lightly, "maybe I'll see you and Jack on the ferry. What time are you heading over?"

"Oh, um, I'm not sure yet."

"Where will you be going?"

"I think we'll just be...exploring the city again, probably. No set destination in mind." _Except the library._

"Well, I'd love to show you some of the sights, if you don't mind having a third..." Her voice trailed off, but she wore an expectant look on her face.

"Actually, Caroline, I'd rather just spend the time with Jack. Nothing – nothing personal, just – we need the time together."

"Oh, that's fine, I just thought I'd offer," Caroline replied sweetly, a smile pasted to her face. "If you change your mind, give me a call. I've got some business to take care of in Portland, so...just let me know."

Charles eyebrows rose slightly at that last bit of news. _Business?_

Will nodded. "Thanks." He glanced toward Charles. "Talk to you tomorrow, thanks again for all the work on the cart."

"No problem, Will. See you tomorrow."

The siblings watched as Will pulled the cart out of the yard and headed down the lane. Charles turned to look at his sister, who was still watching, long after Will had disappeared from sight. She shook her head and sighed, then turned to her brother. Charles was staring at her, both eyebrows raised.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"_What?_ Come on, Caroline, you know what."

Her eyes widened. "No, I'm afraid I don't _know what._ Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You have business in Portland? Please."

"I _do_ have business in Portland. I have an appointment at the salon to get my hair and nails done."

Charles laughed. "_That's_ your business?" He laughed again, shaking his head, then became more serious. "Look, don't go getting any ideas where Will is concerned, okay?"

Caroline's mouth dropped open. "Ideas? For God's sake, Charles, he's a married man. I do have _some_ scruples, you know."

Charles looked surprised. "Married?"

Caroline smirked and rolled her eyes. "Yes, _married_. Maddie told me he wasn't divorced, even though he doesn't wear a ring. I asked him about his wife at the pool yesterday – I mean, what kind of a woman would think it was okay to send a man like that off to live somewhere by himself? Not for nothing, but that's just looking for trouble. I mean, maybe he's very trustworthy, or maybe she's just naïve and stupid, I don't know, but if she's staying away voluntarily –"

"Caroline, stop," Charles said, his voice low. "What did he say when you asked about his wife?"

She paused as she thought back to their conversation. "Well, I asked if she was already here, or coming here at some point, and he said no, she wasn't coming to the island."

Charles closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. "She's dead, Caroline."

Caroline's eyes widened. "_What?_"

"His wife died in an accident. He told me – well, actually, Jack told me – just the other day. We were talking about the house when Will came to drop off the cart, and I mentioned something about mom and dad's accident, and Jack just – he came right out and said his mom died in an accident when he was a baby."

"Oh, that's just _terrible_," Caroline whispered. "Why – why didn't he tell me when I asked about her?"

Charles shrugged. "Maybe it's difficult for him to talk about. Plus, he doesn't really know you that well." He shook his head again. "I can't believe you asked him about his wife."

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Caroline answered, placing her hands on her hips, her voice rising and her skin slightly flushed with embarrassment. "Maddie didn't tell me he was a widower, she just told me he wasn't divorced. And it doesn't matter, really, because it all adds up to the same thing anyway – he's single."

Charles' eyes opened wide. "Are you serious? No, Caroline, don't even think about it. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with you, you'd eat him for breakfast. And he has a kid, for Christ's sake, think about that. You'd be screwing up two lives instead of one."

"Oh, you are _such_ a – a frigging _jerk_ sometimes," Caroline said quietly as she started to walk away. "Bye Charles."

"Look, call me every name in the book if you want, but I know how you are," Charles said, watching her stomp across his yard, back toward her own house. He rolled his eyes and sighed, and started to walk after her, catching up to her quickly and turning her to face him. "Wait, Caro, just wait. You're my sister and my only family and I love you to death, but you have a horrible, _horrible_ track record with men. I know it, you know it – hell, all of this island and half of Portland knows it."

Caroline's mouth dropped open, and Charles knew she was about to launch into a tirade, so he finished talking before she got the chance to begin.

"Think about it, sis, will you? Something tells me that he's not ready for a relationship with anyone, let alone you. _Especially_ you. Just back off, okay? He obviously moved here with his son to grieve, or to heal, and get his life back together, so just give him the chance to do that."

Caroline huffed. "Fine. I won't – I won't _chase_ him, or _pursue_ him, or whatever. But at the first indication that he might be slightly interested, I'm going for it. If he comes on to me, or asks me out, or _anything_ – I am _sooo_ getting on that."

Charles winced a little, but nodded his head. "Okay. Fine. Let's leave it at that." He gave her a peck on the cheek. "Thanks, sis, you're a doll."

"Oh, yeah, a man-eating doll, apparently," Caroline said, her tone laced with sarcasm. She turned and walked away, pointedly ignoring her brother's laughter as she left.

_No, I won't chase, I won't pursue_, she thought as she strolled across the lush green grass, _but I will make myself very, very available._

* * *

Jack's reaction to their souped-up golf cart was comical. His jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide, and the only sound that came out of his mouth was a very quiet, _"Wow."_

Will thanked Sarah for having him for the afternoon, and as soon as they were out of the yard, Will went as fast as the little cart would take them, and they spent another hour cruising around the island, past the beaches, then back into the cove and down by the docks before heading home.

At the end of their small driveway, Will pulled Jack up onto his lap and let him steer the cart while he controlled the pedals. Jack giggled the entire time, the sound bringing a huge smile to Will's face. He let Jack drive all over the lawn, which was probably not the best thing to do, but he was having so much fun, Will didn't have the heart to call it quits just yet.

After parking it behind the house, they walked in together, and Will could barely keep up with Jack's chatter as he climbed up on a stool at the breakfast bar while Will started to figure out dinner.

"We played with the trains for a long time, he has lots of trains, and then Sam's sister Jess came and played a fun game with us but then we went outside 'cause Sam has a climbing thing that has a fort at the top. I told him me 'n you are gonna build a fort too or a tree house and he said he would help us and maybe his dad would too."

"That's nice of Sam to offer up his dad's help," Will said, inwardly thinking that a busy attorney who only had weekends off was not going to give one up to work on a fort or a tree house.

"We got bored in the fort thing so then we played with Max, he's huge Dad, did you see him? Sam said he's the biggest dog on the island but I think maybe he's the biggest dog in Maine or even New York."

"Yeah, he's pretty big."

"Then Sam's mom let us have a snack and I had chocolate chip cookies but she asked me if I was al-al-al – if I could eat the stuff in the cookie and I said I could 'cause I eat cookies all the time and she said she shoulda asked you but I told her it was okay and chocolate chip was my favorite and we got to dip them in milk."

"Sounds delicious," Will replied, as he walked around the kitchen, putting some water on to boil for pasta, and taking a jar of sauce from a cabinet. "Pause for a second; meatballs or no meatballs?"

"Meatballs please. And then we went down in Jack's basement 'cause he has a whole room down there with a ping ping table –."

Will grinned as he took the meatballs from the freezer. "Ping pong."

"Yeah that's what I said ping pong and we tried to play that but I wasn't very good at it so we went back upstairs and went back outside."

Will raised his eyebrows. "Is that it?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Then you came to get me. Our cart is the best on the whole island, even better than Vixen. Even if the pipes don't have flames comin' out."

"Well, I don't know if the other people on the island would like it if flames shot out, we might accidentally start a fire or something. And what about a name for that thing? That's your job, you know, you have to think of a name for it."

"I already did, it's the Batmobile," Jack said, looking at Will as if he had three heads.

"Oh yeah, that's right. The Batmobile."

"Yeah, I'm Batman 'n you're Robin."

Will grinned. "An unstoppable pair."

"Yup. An unsobbable pair."

Later that night, after Jack was tucked in, Will sat down at his desk and called Georgiana again to say hello. He was astonished at how much he missed her. Even though they hadn't lived under the same roof for a long time, he was used to seeing her frequently, even while she was busy with school. She had been a lifeline for him after the accident, always there to help with Jack while Will kept a bedside vigil at the hospital. After Anne died, she was the one who kept Will glued together – as best as she could. Then, all of a sudden, she grew up, something that had happened seemingly overnight. She had an old soul, his little sister; she understood things, understood feelings, _his_ feelings, even when he couldn't put them into words. He would never be able to repay her for everything she had done for him, or been to him and Jack.

She didn't answer her cell, so he decided to give Mrs Reynolds a call. Georgiana wasn't the only person whose company Will missed; Alice Reynolds, too, had been a source of stability throughout Will's entire life. While she was technically an employee of the Darcy family, working as both a housekeeper and a nanny, she was so much more than that to Will. She was there to provide comfort and love when Will was just a boy, trying to cope with the death of his mother; she was there to give support and strength during the family trials and tribulations that surrounded his relationship with and eventual marriage to Anne; she was there to celebrate the birth of Jack, right alongside them; and there to provide strength, or just a shoulder to cry on, when Anne was taken from them.

A smile broke out on his face when he heard her voice on the phone.

"Hello Alice."

"Hello, William! How are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing alright I guess, how are you?"

"I'm just fine, just fine thank you. How's my little prince?"

Will chuckled. "Sound asleep. I don't think he's ever slept as well as he has the past five nights, he just conks right out."

"It's all that fresh air, I suppose."

"God knows he's getting plenty of that."

They talked for a while about Jack and his new friend Sam, and Will told her a bit more about the things they'd been doing to keep themselves busy, and about the other people they'd met since arriving on the island. Will also asked about Alice's health, as she'd been having trouble with one of her hips for a little while; he knew that she was having a difficult time getting around, and he had been steadily encouraging her to retire. She was having none of it, though. Because her life had revolved around the Darcy family for such a long time, it was unfathomable for her to imagine a life without them. But there were no more kids to nanny for, hadn't been for a long time – with the exception of Jack – and Will knew there was very little cleaning or cooking to do for just his father, as the man was hardly ever at home. Still, the Darcy home was her home, it had been for years, and she wasn't about to change that now. That was one thing he could commend his father for; keeping Alice there, taking care of her, long after her services were actually needed.

"When are you coming to visit me?" Will asked, knowing what her answer would be.

"Oh, Maine is much too far for me to travel, William, you know that." She sighed. "I hope that you'll come back to New York, at least for a visit."

"I will, sometime. Probably not for a while, though. Georgiana is itching to get up here, maybe I'll find a way to persuade you to join her. It's really not that far at all."

"Oh, well – when is she going?"

His eyebrows raised; he didn't actually think she'd consider it. "Well, we haven't discussed it in depth yet. Why don't you talk to her, the two of you can figure out the dates. Anytime is good for me, my calendar is pretty wide open."

"Hmm, I imagine so, what with no job and all."

"Alice..."

"Oh, I know you're fine, I know that you have plenty of money. I just worry about you becoming bored and restless. You become very cranky when you have nothing to do."

Will chuckled. "I like having nothing to do, at least right now." He thought of Charles. "I found a little...well, a little project to keep me busy. Helping out a new friend with a business venture."

"Oh...a new friend?"

Will smiled at the curiosity in her voice. "Yes, a new friend. Charles, the man I just told you about."

"Oh."

He could hear her disappointment. "Alice, I've been here for six days. You know why I'm here, remember?"

"I know, I'm sorry for that. I did sound a bit eager, didn't I? I just want to see you happy again, that's all. Truly happy."

Will leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. "I know you do, and I think I'm getting there. This place is already growing on me...it's like I was meant to be here, you know? The house, the island, Portland...I feel relaxed. I feel like _myself_ again, even after such a short time." He reached up with his free hand and dragged it through his hair, leaving it sticking up in places. "No, I'm not getting soft or going crazy, so don't say it."

"I wasn't going to say a thing," Alice answered quietly. "I'm thrilled for you, William, I really am. I know you were questioning yourself right down to the day you moved, and I'll tell you now what I told you then: You're doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons."

Will smiled, and felt an unexpected wave of relief wash over him. "You did tell me that, didn't you?"

"I did, and I'll tell you again and again, anytime you need to hear it."

"Thanks, Alice."

"You're welcome. Now, I can tell you're tired, I can hear it in your voice, so go get some rest. Give that handsome little boy of yours a kiss and a hug from me, alright?"

"I will. I'll even take a share for myself."

"There's plenty for both of you," she replied, laughing quietly. "Goodnight William, thank you for calling."

"Goodnight Alice."

He hung up and let out a huge sigh. _The downside of moving_, he thought. _Being away from Georgie and Alice_. They weren't so far away, though. Portland had an airport, he was sure he could convince them to fly here, possibly in as little as a couple of weeks. Even though Jack didn't say it, Will knew his son missed both women just as much as he did.

His thoughts turned to Georgiana, and how he'd wished she'd been around to talk to on the phone as well. He'd thought that maybe he'd broach the topic of Elizabeth with her, but then had decided against it, as there wasn't much of a topic to broach. Still, he was curious to hear what she would have to say about the whole thing. Maybe it was just that he needed someone to tell him that he needn't feel...well, guilty, he guessed, about having any type of feelings at all in regards to a woman, even if right now, those feelings amounted to little more than curiosity.

And it _was_ guilt that was welling up inside of him, right along with that curiosity; he knew the feeling for what it was. He almost felt as if he was betraying Anne by even looking at, or thinking about, another woman. It wasn't so long ago, though, that he'd tried to really push the issue, force himself to move on, at the constant encouragement of both his father and his cousin Richard. In the end, it had backfired on a monumental scale, and left Will feeling worse than he had to begin with.

_Do I really need to talk to Georgie? Probably not._ He already knew what she would say; she would tell him it's okay, that even the slightest bit of curiosity or attraction was a sign that he really was healing, was moving on, was beginning to live again. She would tell him that Anne would want him and Jack to be happy, first and foremost, and not live in the shadow of her ghost.

He knew that's what Georgie would say, if given the opportunity. Still, hearing it was one thing; believing it deep in his heart, a part of which still belonged to Anne, was another.

* * *

Friday morning, while walking to work, Elizabeth had called Jane to let her know that she would be back in Boston the next day for Lydia's graduation. Jane was ecstatic, and promised to pass on the news to the rest of their family. Elizabeth smiled at Jane's excitement, and realized that she really was looking forward to seeing everyone again; it had been a while. She also convinced Jane that she was long overdue for a visit to Maine, and Jane had promised that she'd put aside some vacation time at some point over the summer to come to the island.

As she walked into the Portland Children's Library, she instantly felt relaxed. She loved it here, amongst the tall shelves of books and playful learning atmosphere. The Children's Library, or 'kid's place' as it was referred to, was actually contained in the large, glass-fronted portion of the building that housed the Portland Public Library.

Elizabeth and Mary shared the job of 'Head Librarian' for the Children's Library. Both had degrees in Library Information/Science, and were the only two people that were employed full-time there; the other assistants were part-time, and there were also several people that volunteered as well. Initially, Elizabeth had been hired as an assistant, but when one of the two head positions opened up a year after she'd been hired, she jumped at it. At some point in her life, she wanted to go back to school to study for her Masters, but she knew that was probably a long way off.

At around two o'clock, the group of younger kids at the library grew, as Friday's story hour was quite popular among the five- to eight-year-old set. Very often, Elizabeth would be the one to read the story, although it wasn't something she was required to do; the assistants were usually the ones to take on the task. It was one of her favorite things, though, and she usually tried to read if she could manage it. She loved the look on the kid's faces as she narrated the story, loved changing her voice to suit each character, and watching as the kids became completely caught up in the tale as she read it to them.

Today, she decided, she would read _'Blueberries for Sal'_ by Robert McCloskey, one of her favorites. The parents ushered their kids to the large circular rug where they would sit, and then retreated to the rear of the room to lounge in the colorful, overstuffed furniture there, usually burying themselves in smart phones or tablets until the story hour was finished.

As the kids became settled, she heard a voice speak to her from her left.

"Hi Miss Bennet," came the quiet whisper.

She turned and saw Jack Darcy there, sitting in the sea of children that were scurrying about, trying to get comfortable and find friends to sit with.

"Hi Jack, how are you?" she answered, smiling at him.

"I'm good. I didn't know you were gonna read."

"I am, it's one of my favorite things to do here. I'm glad you came."

Her eyes left him and she quickly scanned the room. She found his father, standing against the wall in the back. He was looking at his phone, but glanced up for a moment, and his eyes instantly locked with hers. To her surprise, he offered a small smile and a wave, which she answered with a smile and wave of her own.

"Are you exploring more of Portland today?" she asked Jack.

"Yup. We're gonna go look at my school after this. My dad showed me pictures of it on the computer but he said we should go 'n see the real thing."

"Oh, that's a great idea."

Jack nodded in reply. "I hope it has a good playground."

"I'm sure it does."

Elizabeth gently shushed the kids, and asked them to sit quietly, 'criss-cross applesauce', before she started reading. When they were settled and ready she began, launching into the tale with enthusiasm. Occasionally, she would glance up to where the parents were gathered, some talking quietly, others preoccupied with their gadgets, and inevitably, her gaze would fall on William Darcy.

He was never looking at his phone, or engaged in conversation with anyone; no, every time she looked at him, he was definitely looking at her. She began to feel a bit self-conscious, and more than once, stumbled over the words in the second-grade reading level book, causing a flush to creep up her cheeks. She could feel it, feel the warmth, and knew that she was blushing.

For the first time that she could remember, she was happy when the story came to its conclusion. William Darcy's stares were a bit unnerving, even though he remained, for the most part, completely expressionless. Sometimes he looked as though he was smiling a little, but mostly, he just...stared.

Elizabeth went behind the circulation desk to sit at her computer, and prepared to begin working on an acquisitions list. As the mothers and fathers began to collect their kids, she risked another look around the large room, and saw Jack and his father talking near the small wooden playhouse that was located in the far corner. She saw Jack nod his head at whatever his father was saying before venturing into the playhouse with some other children. Then she noticed, with no small amount of trepidation, that William Darcy was headed her way.

Will approached the desk slowly, completely unsure of himself and what he had decided to do. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"Hello Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth, who had been studiously trying to ignore his approach, turned to look at him and put a pleasant smile on her face. "Hello Mr Darcy, how are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks. You?"

"Fine, just fine." They lapsed into silence, but he was still looking at her in that way he had...and Lord, he had the darkest eyes she'd ever seen. "Um, is there something I can help you with?" she asked, unsure whether he really needed something, or if he was just going to stand and stare for the rest of the afternoon.

"Oh, um, yes, sorry. I have – I have a few books that I need, and I was wondering if you could help me – help me locate them. I have," he went on, retrieving something from his shorts pocket and clearing his throat again, "I have a list, here." He unfolded the slightly wrinkled paper and flattened it on the counter in front of him.

Elizabeth rose from her seat and walked toward him, the counter between them. "I'd be happy to help," she replied, still smiling, while inside she was thinking, _Where is Mary? _"These are books you'd find here, in the children's area?"

"Mmhm, yes, I believe so."

She picked up the piece of paper, and looked at the titles he had written down. The first was, _"A Little Book of Manners For Boys"_.

_Really?_ Her eyes moved to the next title.

"_How To Be A Friend: A Guide to Making Friends on the Playground"_.

Elizabeth's brows came together in a frown. _Does he really think Jack needs books like these?_

The third book was simply titled, _"Sorry!", _and before she realized it, Elizabeth was shaking her head, just a little, but enough that her customer had noticed.

"Is – is there something the matter?" he asked quietly. "Don't you have them here?"

"I – well, possibly," Elizabeth answered hesitantly as she looked up from the paper, subconsciously noting that she was barely at his shoulder level. "It's just – these are, um, odd books for Jack to be reading. He just – he seems so well-mannered and polite." When she realized what she'd said, she was mortified. "Oh, I'm so sorry, it's none of my business, that was very presumptuous of me to give my opinion," she offered sincerely as she looked at him. "I apologize."

"No, it's fine, really," Will responded softly, reassuring her. "I'm glad you think he's well-mannered and polite – I do too." He cleared his throat again. "These – these are for me."

She stared at him for a moment, as she wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly, before breaking into a soft laugh, then quickly trying to stop it by covering her mouth with her hand. It took a few seconds, but she managed to control her laughter so she could speak again, and was relieved that he was grinning as well – a small grin, but a grin nonetheless.

"You're going to read _"A Little Book of Manners For Boys"_?Aren't you a bit too old for that?"

Will took a deep breath, and plunged in. "Well, apparently not. You're never too old to learn new things, and it seems I could use a lesson in manners, and in how to make friends...and in how to apologize." He couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from her eyes, and the way they lit up when she smiled, and he found that he cared less that she was laughing at him. He wanted to make her laugh, that's what he'd hoped for; he knew it would be the best way to break the ice.

It dawned on Elizabeth, then, what he was doing. He was trying to apologize to _her_, in his own odd, amusing little way. She felt the blush creeping up her face once again, and couldn't think of a thing to say in response. Luckily, he spoke again, relieving her of the responsibility.

"I've been really unpleasant to you, and I apologize," he said quietly. "You've been so nice to Jack, he thinks the world of you, and I've been a complete jerk."

"I think Jack is very sweet."

Will smiled, turning to make sure his son was still at the playhouse. "He is, isn't he? He's a great kid, though I'm a little biased." He turned back to Elizabeth, still smiling.

Elizabeth was taken aback by that smile, and the dimples that peeked out along with it. Again, she was struck by how handsome he was. "Well, you have every right to be, Mr Darcy. He's a nice boy."

"Please, it's William. Or - or Will. Mr Darcy is my father. It makes me feel old when you call me that." He grimaced slightly as he spoke.

Elizabeth chuckled, feeling a little bit more comfortable now. "Well, no more Miss Bennet, then. It's Elizabeth."

Will nodded, smiling a little. "Okay, Elizabeth it is." He paused for a moment, thinking about what he wanted to say. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Do you ever wish that you had a second chance to meet someone again for the first time?"

Elizabeth was pleasantly caught off guard by the question, but wasn't sure what to say in response, so she replied with questions of her own. "Is that what we're doing? Meeting again for the first time?"

He smiled again, dimples and all, and her stomach did a funny little dance that she felt all the way to her toes. Instead of answering her, though, he held out his hand.

"I'm Will Darcy. It's nice to meet you."

She grinned and took his hand, holding it lightly but firmly. "I'm Elizabeth Bennet. It's nice to meet you too."

* * *

_A bit of progress? Please let me know what you think! Thanks!_


	6. Chapter 5

_So, most of you felt that Will did a pretty decent job apologizing. This chapter picks up from there, although unfortunately, not with our two favorite people spending time together. Sorry! We do get to meet the Bennet parents and a certain Mr Wickham, however... Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming! And thanks to my awesome betas, Mariana and Jan, for all their beta wisdom._

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Will had left the library on Friday afternoon feeling decidedly happier than he had since he'd moved to Maine. Not that he'd been _un_happy, that is, but when he had finished his conversation with Elizabeth, he'd just felt...well, happier.

He had planned on taking Jack to the library, then to the elementary school, and then out to Cape Elizabeth, but now, because they'd stayed at the library a little longer than he'd planned, it looked as if they wouldn't have time to do it all. Instead, he opted to just take Jack to the school, and save Cape Elizabeth for another day. His intention had been to spend a very short amount of time at the library, but when they arrived there and Jack saw that Elizabeth was going to read a book for story hour, he'd asked Will if they could stay. Of course, it was easy for Will to say yes – it gave him more of a chance to observe her, without her being completely aware of it.

_She was definitely in her element_, he thought. Her eyes were bright, the smile on her face genuine, and her enthusiasm and enjoyment were obvious. He found himself grinning slightly in return as he unabashedly stared at her, and at a certain point, it became apparent that she was aware of his gaze; he noticed that her skin had become flushed, and she surreptitiously cast him glances every now and again. As much as he didn't want to make her uncomfortable or self-conscious, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her; he tried, more than once, to distract himself, but his eyes always wandered back to her of their own volition, so he stopped trying to force them elsewhere.

They'd talked a bit longer, after they'd 're-introduced' themselves to each other, and he'd casually asked if he and Jack would see her on the ferry back to the island. She'd told him that she was staying in Portland at a friend's house for the night, as she had to drive to Boston early the following morning to visit her family and attend her younger sister's college graduation. Not wanting to push anything – and not really having a clue as to what it was he'd want to push anyway – he told her that perhaps he'd see her around the island, and they'd bid each other goodbye.

Now, walking with Jack toward the garage where his truck was parked, Will definitely felt lighter, as if things were finally set to right. At the very least, he felt as though the next time he saw Elizabeth, he would probably be capable of having a somewhat intelligent conversation with her, without tripping over his words or even worse, completely clamming up.

_Well, one can always hope._

They arrived at the truck, and Will pulled the GPS out of the glove compartment and plugged it in, then programmed it with the address of the school. It was a short drive, but would have been too long to walk, at least today, when their time was now limited.

As they pulled up to the colorful building, Jack immediately spotted the playground and asked if he could get out to play. There were several other kids and adults there, and so Will said they could, although they didn't have a lot of time.

"Fifteen minutes Jack, then we've got to head back to catch the ferry," he called out as Jack ran across the grass toward the swings.

"Okay!" Jack called back, running over to grab the last available swing. "Hey Dad, can you push me?"

"Sure," Will answered as he slowly walked over to join him. He stood behind him and pushed, and Jack chatted away about the school, asking Will which room he thought was the kindergarten room. Will had to keep forcing himself to pay attention to his son, as his mind was insistent on wandering to a certain librarian with a contagious smile and a pair of warm, bright eyes.

Jack soon tired of the swings, and persuaded Will to join him on the see-saw, which was quite comical. In order for Jack to go up high, Will had to practically pull his knees up to his chin, which made Jack laugh hysterically. After a few more minutes of silliness, they headed back to the truck.

"I told you Mr Bingley was coming over tonight, right?" Will asked as they walked side by side.

Jack nodded. "Uh-huh. You're gonna do some work."

"Just for a little while. We'll have time to play a game or something after dinner, before he comes over."

"Okay. What are we havin' for dinner?"

"Well, how about pizza? I heard the market has good cheese pizza." He knew he'd get no argument from Jack; the boy was a pizza fiend.

Jack's eyes opened wide. "Yeah, pizza! Maybe they have the pep-roni that you like."

"I bet they do. We can eat right there, if you want, at a picnic table."

"Yeah, kinda like eatin' out."

Will smiled. "Exactly."

The ferry ride back to the island was relaxing. The sun was still shining brightly, although it was low in the sky, and the breeze felt refreshing, if just slightly chilly. Jack rested against Will, content to snuggle with his father and talk about his new school, but also wanting to talk about his trip to the library.

"Can we go there again?" Jack asked. "I like the little house inside, it's neat."

"Sure, we can go back, maybe next week. We'll stay longer, so that you have time to pick out a book."

"Miss Bennet's nice, an' she reads good, I like the way she does the people." Jack looked up at his father, staring into his eyes. "Maybe we can go when she's gonna read again."

Will nodded, wrapping his arm around Jack's shoulders and kissing the top of his head before pulling him in tighter to his side. "I think we could probably do that."

* * *

After pizza at the market, Will and Jack headed home and played Uno until Charles came over. At that point, Will turned on a movie for Jack so that he'd be occupied while the men conducted their business.

Will had to admit, he was impressed with what Charles had managed to get done in such a short period of time. He'd come up with an executive summary, a company summary, a pretty decent product line, and a management plan, which included a basic framework for personnel he'd need to hire.

"I think I managed alright with these things," Charles said, as he gave Will the stack of papers he'd written up, "but I got stuck on a few others that I may need your help with."

Will glanced at the papers, all handwritten and full of ink blots and words that were crossed out and written over. He turned the papers this way and that, trying to make heads or tails of what was scribbled, and shook his head. "Don't you have a computer?"

Charles nodded. "Of course I do, how do you think I was able to come up with this stuff? I had to research everything online, I was up most of the night."

"Okay, so...why didn't you type it up instead, and save it on your computer?"

"Because I can't type."

Will laughed. "I hate to break it to you, but you can't write either."

Charles gave him a friendly shove. "Shut up. Alright, I know I've got chicken scratch, but really, if I had typed all that...well, I wouldn't be here, I'd still be home, typing. I'm a really, really slow, hunt-and-peck typist, I only use one finger."

"Alright, well, we'll get it typed up. You can read to me, I'll type."

For the next half hour, that's what they did; Charles dictated, while Will typed on the PC in his office. Will was able to correct things as they went along, or encourage Charles to delve into deeper detail about some things, and he saved everything on a flash drive that Charles could take with him.

"So, what did you need help with?" Will asked when they were done.

"The whole part about market analysis and sales strategy kind of threw me. I don't have a head for that stuff, I guess, so I'm clueless. I don't know anything about it."

"Well, lucky for you, I do," Will said, smiling softly.

"Is that what you used to do? Or what you do now?"

Will sighed. "Um, used to do. Have you ever heard of Darcy Marketing Group?"

Charles shook his head and shrugged. "No, should I have?"

Will chuckled. "No, I guess not. Anyway, that's my company. Rather, it's my father's company. One of them, anyway. I used to run it. It _was_ going to be mine, but...well, it's a long story. So, that's what I do. What I _did_. DMG is the preeminent marketing firm in business today. It's known worldwide."

"And it's not going to be yours now...why?" Charles asked, before shaking his head. "Forget I asked, it's none of my business."

"No, it's fine, it's no secret. I wanted to leave New York, my father didn't want me to, and that's how he's retaliated against me. And it's not the first time, believe me. I piss him off, he fires me and then he cuts me off."

"And you're okay with that?"

Will shrugged. "Yeah. He'll eventually get to a point where he'll accept it, on his own terms, and that will be that. And if he doesn't..." His voice trailed off. "It's not a big deal."

"What about your mother, what does she think?"

"She died when I was eleven."

Charles sighed and shook his head. "Oh man."

Will grinned. "If she was alive, she'd probably kick my father's ass for the way he's acting." He was quiet for a moment. "It's taken a little while, probably longer than it should have, but I feel like I finally, _finally _have a firm grasp of what's important, and it's not DMG or the money. That's where my father and I see things differently."

"I know what you mean," Charles said quietly. He looked at his new friend sympathetically. "Losing someone makes you rethink things – _everything_ – about your life. It's a pretty harsh awakening, isn't it?"

Will nodded his head slowly. "The harshest."

"Can I ask you how long you were married?"

Will smiled. "Sure. Anne and I were only married for a little over two and a half years, but we'd been together since high school."

"Wow," Charles said quietly. "That's unusual."

Will shrugged, and his eyes softened as he smiled. "If you'd known Anne, you wouldn't think that. She was pretty great."

"I bet she was," Charles answered. "Does – does Jack ever ask about her?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, he does. We look at pictures together. I wish I knew what he was thinking when he looks at them. It must be like reading a storybook...I imagine it feels like she isn't real or something."

Charles nodded, suddenly feeling sad for little Jack Darcy. At least he'd had his mom for twenty-four years, had memories of her stored away. Jack had nothing but pictures, and the things his father could tell him. Will's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"You said you were twenty-four when your parents died?" Charles nodded in response. "How old were they?"

"My dad was fifty-four, my mom was fifty. They were hit by a drunk, driving the wrong way on the Maine Turnpike. It was a head-on crash, they both died instantly. The bastard that killed them, however, lived to see another day. He basically got a slap on the wrist – a couple of years in jail, and the loss of his license, which didn't prevent him from driving again anyway. He eventually had another accident, but this time, he only killed himself."

Will shook his head in disbelief. "Unreal, isn't it?"

"Completely unreal." Charles had been staring at the table, but glanced up at Will. "How – what about Anne?"

Will sighed and looked away from Charles. "We were hit by someone who blew through a red light." He swallowed heavily. "We were coming home from a party...Jack was supposed to be with us, but at the last minute, Anne got a sitter. She wanted to have a 'date night'." He smiled softly, remembering their discussion about it, but not really remembering anything about the night, or the 'date' itself. "She was in a coma for a couple of weeks after..." His voice trailed off, and he looked back up at Charles. "Her body just couldn't handle the trauma. She was twenty-six."

"Did you get hurt?"

He sighed. "Not physically, no, I was fine. I got banged up, but Anne took the brunt of the hit." He paused for a moment. "I was a mess after, though. The months after her death are a complete blur to me."

Charles cleared his throat. "Did you ever go to, like, a support group or anything?"

"No, I couldn't. I didn't want anything to do with that stuff."

"Me either. Caroline tried, but she stopped. We were each other's support group, I think. We leaned on each other pretty heavily."

"I have a sister too, Georgiana. She's a lot younger than me, but she was a lifesaver. And Jack," Will said, his voice growing quiet, "I had to keep going for him, you know? It wasn't just me. I lost my – my wife, but he lost his mom."

They were silent again, and Will shook his head before dropping his fists on the table. "Alright, enough of this gloomy shit. We have a business to plan."

Charles reached up and gave Will a slap on the back before grasping his shoulder and squeezing it lightly. "You're right, let's get back to work."

* * *

Elizabeth felt a swell of anxiety in her chest as she turned into the driveway of her parents' sprawling home in Cambridge, just outside of Boston, late Saturday morning. She pulled up alongside of Jane's car, grateful that her older sister was already there. The house looked the same; perfectly manicured lawn, with vibrant tulips and bright yellow daffodils lining the driveway and walkway. Brilliant red azalea bushes adorned the beds along the front of the house, and the stone steps that led to the front door contained pots of geraniums, adding still more color to the yard. Her father loved to work outdoors, and Elizabeth knew that if she walked around to the backyard, she'd see even more evidence of his endeavors.

It had been a while since she'd been home, not since Christmas, and that visit hadn't been pleasant; her father had tried to insist that she move back to Boston, and her mother had argued with her about every little thing, and had nagged her incessantly. Needless to say, it hadn't been a very merry holiday and since then, she'd stayed away, staying in touch only by phone.

The side door to the house opened, and Jane stepped out onto the small farmer's porch. "Lizzy! I was hoping you wouldn't get caught in traffic."

The sisters walked toward and each other and embraced tightly.

"I can't believe I haven't seen you in four months," Jane continued. "That's far too long."

"I know, you're right. When are you coming back to Portland to visit me?"

"As soon as school finishes up." Jane was a seventh-grade science teacher in the Boston Public School system. "I'm teaching summer school again, but it doesn't start until the middle of July, so I'll probably come before that."

"Just let me know when, so I can try to get a little time off."

They walked into the house, hand in hand, and headed for the kitchen.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Elizabeth asked, looking around.

"Dad drove Lydia in, she didn't want to take a car." She glanced at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was nearing noon. "He should be back any minute. Mom is outside on the patio, relaxing."

Elizabeth sighed. "I guess I should go say hi." She looked at Jane pleadingly.

"Yes, I'll come with you," Jane replied, knowing what Elizabeth was asking with that look.

Fran Bennet was dressed in a lightweight lavender housecoat and slippers, and was seated in a wicker chair, staring out at the backyard, sipping lemonade. She turned when she heard the sliding door open.

"Oh, you made it!" She exclaimed, setting her drink on a small table and rising out of her seat. "I just knew you wouldn't disappoint Lydia and not show up."

"Of course I wouldn't do that, Mom. I told her I'd be here."

"She'll be thrilled to see you." Mrs Bennet reached for Elizabeth and gave her a tight hug, which Elizabeth returned halfheartedly. "How was your drive down?"

"It was fine, no traffic to speak of."

"That car of yours is holding up?"

"I barely use it, so yes, it's running great. I walk almost everywhere in Portland anyway."

Mrs Bennet rolled her eyes. "Oh, you and your walking. You should be thin as a rail with all that walking you do." She reached up to pat Elizabeth's cheek. "Not quite, though, hm?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Thanks Mom."

Jane winked and grinned, and Elizabeth couldn't help but grin back. "You look fab, Lizzy, you really do. All that island air agrees with you."

"Oh, and city air is suddenly horrible? Boston air isn't good enough for the two of you?" Mrs Bennet asked both girls, shaking her head. "Next thing we know, you'll be running off to join your sister on that crazy island," she said to Jane, jabbing her finger toward her.

"Can we go get ready?" Elizabeth asked, dying to get away from her mother already. "I have my dress and stuff in the car, I need to go get it."

"I brought my things too, they're up in Lydia's room," Jane answered. "Are you staying overnight?"

The two women walked into the house while they talked, leaving their mother outside to finish her lemonade.

"I don't know. What's the plan for after? Is there a party or anything?" Elizabeth asked, half-hoping that there wasn't.

"I think Lydia is having a few friends over, but that's about it. Dad was thinking of cooking on the grill, maybe burgers or steaks or something. You know Lydia, though, she won't stick around for long, she'll want to go out and hit the clubs." She shrugged. "I don't blame her, she's worked hard for the past four years."

Elizabeth laughed. "Can you believe it? She actually graduated. Didn't we have a bet about that?"

Jane grinned. "We did. You owe me twenty bucks."

Both women laughed as they walked out to Elizabeth's car to get her things. They returned to the house and headed up to Lydia's room.

"Oh, it always hits me by surprise when I walk in here," Elizabeth said, grimacing at the cotton-candy pink paint on the walls. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this color."

"Me either."

Thirty minutes later they were ready, and when they went downstairs, Elizabeth was happy to see her father standing in the kitchen. Her face lit up in a broad smile.

"Hi, Daddy," she said softly, walking over to hug him.

David Bennet wrapped his daughter up in his arms, holding her tightly. "Hello sweetheart." He kissed her cheek. "I've missed you."

Elizabeth pulled back from him to look into his eyes. "I've missed you too." She reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek as well. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine." His gaze swept over Elizabeth, and then moved to Jane, and he smiled at them. "You both look lovely."

"Thanks," the sisters said, almost in unison, and Elizabeth had to agree. Jane, in all her golden splendor, looked fabulous in a pale blue sundress, her long blonde hair swept up high on her head. Elizabeth had opted for a similarly styled dress in navy blue, but left her dark hair down, where it fell in soft waves, almost to the middle of her back. They were the exact same height, but where Jane tended to be slimmer, almost waif-ish, Elizabeth's curves were slightly more generous. Both women had gone through phases, when they were younger, of being envious of the other's body.

"Really, dad, you're feeling okay?" Elizabeth asked, concern evident in her voice. Her father had been rushed to the hospital with chest pain in early February, and at first, the fear was that he had suffered a heart attack. Elizabeth was ready to rush to Boston right away, but Jane had called her and told her not to come, as it hadn't been a heart attack after all. He did, however, have two severely blocked coronary arteries, and had required surgical intervention, and the placement of stents, to alleviate the problem.

Mr Bennet looked his favorite daughter in the eyes. "Yes, my dear, I'm feeling wonderful. It's my favorite time of year, you know."

Elizabeth grinned, feeling reassured. "I can tell you've been outside working. The yard looks nice, everything is in bloom."

Mrs Bennet came walking back into the house then, and heard Elizabeth's remark. "Yes, everything is in bloom, including my allergies." To prove her point, she sneezed loudly. "Oh, these flowers will be the death of me."

Mr Bennet rolled his eyes and shrugged at Elizabeth, as if to say, _"What am I going to do with her?"_

"And how are you, daughter?" Mr Bennet continued. "How's the library?"

"Everything is fine. I love the library, it's...it's a dream job, really. Mary and I make a good team."

"That's wonderful, I'm glad to hear it. And the restaurant?"

"It's good. Busy. I'm glad I work there, or else I'd never see the inside of it, because I certainly can't afford to eat there! The tips are fantastic."

Mrs Bennet huffed. "I wish you wouldn't wait tables, Elizabeth. It's no job for you."

Elizabeth chuckled. "It's the perfect job for me. I work with my friends, I get to be social and meet people, and I make good money."

"Let's not have this conversation again, okay?" Jane said, interrupting. "Mom, unless you plan on attending Lydia's graduation in that lovely robe, you need to go get changed."

Mrs Bennet glanced at the clock. "Oh, dear, we're running late, we need to be there in less than an hour. David, you too, let's go, you need to get your suit on."

By five p.m., the Bennets were back in Cambridge, after the ceremony at Bunker Hill College. Lydia, in typical Lydia style, let out a big "_Woohoo!"_ and pumped her fist when she crossed the stage to get her degree, causing several other fellow graduates to howl back in response, which then caused the entire audience, graduates and spectators alike, to break into laughter.

Mrs Bennet was mortified, of course, but Mr Bennet, Jane and Elizabeth whooped, whistled and applauded louder than anyone. Lydia was thrilled to see Elizabeth at the end of the ceremony, and the sisters hugged tightly, Elizabeth whispering to her younger sister how proud she was of her.

Now, back at the Bennet house, the party was in full swing. There were a dozen or so of Lydia's classmates scattered here and there around the backyard, most of them out of their dressier clothes and now sporting shorts and t-shirts.

Elizabeth and Jane were in the kitchen, putting assorted appetizers on platters, while Mr Bennet manned the grill, cooking up burgers and chicken. Mrs Bennet was busy being social, making the rounds of the guests outside, making sure that everyone was happy and having a good time. Elizabeth glanced up when she heard the front door open, and smiled as Stuart Carver walked in.

"Hey Stuart," she said quietly, nudging Jane.

Stuart smiled in return. "Hello there, Elizabeth. Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you too." She watched as her sister walked around the kitchen counter to greet her boyfriend, curious about how they interacted with each other. She had seen them together before, but only once or twice, and that was in the earlier stages of their relationship. _He really isn't a bad looking man at all_, Elizabeth realized. _He's...bookishly handsome_, she decided, and thought it was probably his glasses that made her think that. Tall, lean, salt and pepper hair, nice clothes...in the looks department, Jane could do much worse.

Jane stood on her toes to kiss him – he was a good four or five inches taller than her – and held his shoulders for balance as she did. One of his hands went to her waist and squeezed lightly, before sliding down a bit to rest on the curve of her hip.

Elizabeth quickly looked away, feeling as though she was staring. She felt like she owed it to Jane to at least get to know Stuart a little better, so maybe tonight she'd have the chance. She watched as he lifted his face from Jane's and smiled at her, stroking her cheek with his free hand.

"You look good enough to eat," he said quietly, obviously intending the comment for Jane's ears only. Elizabeth's mouth nearly dropped open.

Jane playfully slapped his chest. "I'll remember you said that later," she said softly, laughing up at him.

"David outside manning the grill?" he asked as he headed toward the back slider.

"Of course. Go keep him company, make sure he doesn't burn anything," Jane replied, heading back around to the other side of the counter to help Elizabeth finish with the platters. She glanced at her sister's face, and noticed the raised brow.

"What?"

"_Good enough to eat?"_ Elizabeth asked, giggling.

Jane blushed slightly. "Oh, you heard that?"

"I most certainly did. What happened to unflappable, uber-calm Stuart?"

"We had a little heart to heart last weekend. Actually, it was after I talked to you, when I was venting a little."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him what I was feeling. I told him that lately, when we're together, it's like I'm not even there, he's just off in his own world, completely preoccupied. I thought that maybe he was losing interest in me – which is what was happening to me, _I_ was beginning to second-guess all my feelings about_ him._"

"And what did he say?"

"Not much, just that he'd been distracted at work. There's been talk of a lay-off, and he's worried about that, I know he is. I told him he needed to talk to me about those things, so I could help him, instead of just shutting me out." She shrugged. "In any case, he apologized."

"Oh, well that's good." Elizabeth knew that Stuart was a staff manager at one of the local teaching hospitals, and imagined that it could get pretty stressful.

"Yeah, it's been better this week, so...we'll see," Jane said, frowning slightly.

Elizabeth studied her sister's expression. "Jane, what are you not telling me?"

Jane's blue eyes glanced to Elizabeth's face, and she sighed heavily. "Nothing. I just...I feel like something is wrong, like he's not being completely truthful. I don't know, it's just a feeling I have."

The subject of their conversation came sauntering back into the house. "Jane, sweetie, I have to go."

"What do you mean you have to go?" Jane asked, confused. "You just got here."

"I know, but there's something going on at the hospital, some of the staff is threatening to walk out...I have to go now, I'm sorry."

"No, that's fine, of course. I understand."

Stuart approached her and planted a quick kiss on her lips. "Pass on my congratulations to Lydia, I didn't even get a chance to speak to her. I'll try to come back, but I don't know how long I'll be there."

"It's alright," Jane said quietly, "just call me later, okay? Or text me."

"Of course." He leaned in again for another kiss, this one a bit longer than the first. "I'm sorry." He raised his head and looked at Elizabeth. "Bye Elizabeth, take care."

"You too, Stuart."

And with that he was out the door. Jane turned and looked at Elizabeth, her lips pursed and her eyebrows raised. Elizabeth knew what that look said.

"You don't believe him, do you?" Elizabeth asked, though it was really more of a statement than a question.

Jane shook her head. "Nope."

* * *

By nine o'clock, the party had pretty much wound down. Lydia was upstairs, getting ready to go clubbing with her friends, and both the kitchen and backyard had been completely cleaned up. Elizabeth debated whether or not she wanted to drive back to Portland tonight. The alternative – staying with her parents – wasn't very appealing. Jane offered to put her up for the night, but if Stuart came calling, Elizabeth didn't want to be there. She had encouraged Jane repeatedly to talk to him again, and Jane had promised that she would, as soon as possible, which could mean as early as tonight.

Elizabeth sent a text to Charlotte, asking if she could sleep at her place if necessary, and Charlotte assured her it wasn't a problem, as there were no ferries to the island this late at night. After thinking about it for a bit, she decided to suck it up and stay in Cambridge to spend a little more time with her parents, and sent another text to Charlotte to let her know. Jane was getting ready to leave, so Elizabeth walked her outside to her car, giving her a big hug before she left.

"Call me in the morning if you can, okay?" Elizabeth asked.

Jane nodded. "I will."

"I won't take off right away, in case you need me for anything. I don't have to work tomorrow night, so I won't be in a hurry to get home."

"Thanks Lizzy," Jane replied softly. "Hopefully, I won't need to call you."

"I hope not too, but I want you to let me know how things turn out."

"I will." The sisters hugged again briefly, and Elizabeth watched from the front lawn as Jane's car headed down the street.

She was turning to walk back to the house when she heard a deep voice call out to her from the street.

"Hello, Lizzy Collins."

Elizabeth spun around, recognizing the voice instantly. "George?"

She saw him then, coming up the sidewalk out of the shadows, where he must have been watching her from in front of the neighbor's house. He kept walking toward her, not stopping until they were only a couple of feet apart. All she could do was stare; George Wickham was the last person she expected to see.

"Oh, that's right, it's Lizzy Bennet again, isn't it?"

Elizabeth remained silent, and so he leaned forward until his face was just inches from hers, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Cat got your tongue? It's not like you to be speechless."

Elizabeth backed up a step as the pungent smell of alcohol from his breath wafted over her. "I – I'm just – I'm surprised to see you."

George glanced up at the Bennet home. "I figured you'd be here for Lydia's graduation, so...I took my chances and headed over. I was hoping I'd see you."

She took another step back. "Well, you've seen me, so I guess you can leave." She turned and started to walk rapidly toward the house, but he was fast, and quickly stood in front of her to block her progress.

"I'm sorry I startled you, Lizzy, please don't go yet. I didn't come here to cause trouble, I really didn't." His demeanor had completely altered as the words rushed out of him. "I just – I just want to talk to you."

"You're drunk."

George shrugged. "No, I'm not. Not really, I just had a couple of drinks." He sighed loudly. "Can we just talk for a minute?"

"No. I have nothing to say to you." She began to walk toward the house again, so he reached for her arm. "Please, wait. You don't have to say anything, you can just listen to me, I'll do all the talking."

"I'm not interested in anything you have to say. Please let me go, George," Elizabeth said quietly, her anger beginning to rise. She wasn't afraid, she knew he wouldn't hurt her – or at least was fairly sure he wouldn't – but she had no desire to talk to him and rehash the past.

George released her wrist and held up his hands, shaking his head. "This isn't what I wanted, it's not what I wanted to happen. I just want to talk to you, I want to explain –."

The light next to the front door came on, and Mrs Bennet stuck her head outside, interrupting them. "Elizabeth? What are you doing out there?" she called out loudly. "Who's that with you?"

Elizabeth lifted her chin and stared directly at George, her eyes cold, and answered her mother in a flat tone of voice. "It's no one, Mom. No one important."

She felt a tiny bit of remorse when she saw his face fall, but as quickly as it came, it was gone.

"Is that George Wickham?" Mrs Bennet asked, her voice rising even more. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Go back inside, Mom, it's fine."

"I told you to stay away from him, Lizzy. Did you tell him to come here? He's nothing but trouble, how many times do you need to learn that lesson? If your father finds out –."

"Mom, _please_ go back in the house, I'll be there in a second, alright?" Elizabeth's voice was firm, and she glared at her mother in the brightness of the spotlight. The funny thing was, her mother despised George just as much as she did, but for totally different reasons.

"Fine, fine. I'll go in, but if you're not in this house in five minutes, I'm sending your father outside."

The door slammed, and it was quiet again.

"I'll leave," George said, shaking his head. "I shouldn't have come, shouldn't have snuck up on you like that, but I knew you wouldn't see me if I asked."

"You're right, I wouldn't have," Elizabeth agreed, her voice steady. "Why do you suppose that is? Maybe it's because you took advantage of me when I was vulnerable, played with my feelings, betrayed me, and made me feel guilty about something that wasn't my fault? Is that what a friend does, George?"

He wouldn't look her in the eye, instead staring at some point over her head. "I told you I was sorry, Lizzy, I made a mistake. What do you want from me?"

Elizabeth sighed in exasperation. "Nothing, George. I want _nothing_ from you, other than for you to just leave me alone. After everything I went through with Bill...you were supposed to be there to help me pick up the pieces, not shatter them even more. You were my _best friend_..." Her voice trailed off as tears came to her eyes, but she forced herself to keep them at bay. "I can't do this with you, I can't. Not now."

"When, then?" he asked, his voice rising slightly. "When are you finally going to forgive me? I love you Lizzy, you know I do. It's always been you."

"You don't love me, George, it's _never_ been me," she said quietly, shaking her head in disbelief. "You don't even know what love is." And with that, she turned and walked into the house.

* * *

_And there you have it. The Bennet parents aren't so bad, huh? Tolerable, I suppose. What about George? Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them. Thanks!_


	7. Chapter 6

**Bonus post...a lot of you wanted more Darcy & Elizabeth time, and some of you want to know what happened with George...hopefully this will satisfy, at least a little. Thanks to Mariana and Jan for their impeccable beta skills! And thanks to everyone reviewing, I appreciate it.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Elizabeth was relieved to be departing Cambridge on Sunday morning. Her mother and father had practically cornered her at the breakfast table, demanding to know why George Wickham had shown up the night before.

"I don't know why he came," Elizabeth said calmly, "because I sure as hell didn't invite him."

Mrs Bennet shook her head. "That man! I suppose that ruining your marriage wasn't enough for him! He has to ruin your sister's graduation celebration too?"

"What did he say, Lizzy?" her father asked, talking over her mother, his concern for Elizabeth clearly written on his face.

"That's between George and me. It's nothing for you to worry about, Dad. I'm fine."

"I wish you lived closer so I could keep an eye on you," Mr Bennet said, searching his daughter's eyes for any signs of unhappiness.

Elizabeth sighed deeply. _Here we go again_. "I don't need you to keep an eye on me, I'm a grown woman. Please don't start with that again."

"Well, it's just that you're so far away –."

"One hundred miles, give or take a mile or two, isn't that far away," she said quietly, interrupting him. "I'm not moving back to Cambridge. End of discussion."

"But it was all supposed to be _temporary_," Mrs Bennet said, a slight whine in her voice. "You were just going to get away for a little while, to – what did you say back then? – to get your head together."

Yes, her mother was right – sort of. That's what Elizabeth had told them, but honestly, she'd only said it to appease them; she knew she wasn't coming back. "I know that, Mom, but I didn't expect to fall in love with Portland like I did. I'm sorry, but I'm staying there, it's my home now. I have great friends, and two good jobs. I love it there."

Her father looked away from her, turning his gaze to the slider and the backyard beyond. "As long as you're happy, Lizzy, that's all we truly want." He turned back to her again, a touch of sadness in his eyes. "I just wish you could be happy here."

To her father's credit, he did understand what Elizabeth had endured at the hands of her husband during their brief one-year marriage, and more than that, he understood that George had betrayed her. She had never gone into the specifics of what happened with George, feeling it was more information than what a daughter should share with her father; despite that, Mr Bennet took Elizabeth at her word when she said that George had done a reprehensible thing.

Mrs Bennet's perception was that George, in his conniving ways, had caused the downfall of Elizabeth's marriage; yes, her mother's view was as skewed as that. Elizabeth had tried, at first, to explain to her mother exactly what it had been like being married to Bill, but her mother either didn't want to believe it, or was just too blind to see the truth. Eventually, Elizabeth gave up trying to explain, and just let her mother think what she wanted to.

The conversation at the breakfast table had ended after that, and Elizabeth had gone upstairs to get her things together. It was nearing eleven-thirty, and she wanted to be back in Portland to catch the three o'clock ferry home. Barring any traffic issues, she knew she'd make it just fine.

She smiled as she walked past Lydia's closed bedroom door, unsurprised that she was still asleep. She had come home in the wee hours of the morning, and had woken Elizabeth, who was sleeping in the guest room – in actuality, her old bedroom – so they could 'catch up'.

"Lydia, it's almost four a.m.," Elizabeth said, her voice froggy. "Don't you want to go to sleep?"

"No, I'm wide awake, I've been dancing for five hours," Lydia replied, smiling widely. "C'mon, Lizzy, we never get to chat anymore."

Elizabeth groaned. "Alright, alright. Let's go downstairs and make some tea or something." She got up and dug around in her bag for a pair of shorts to put on with the t-shirt she had worn to bed, while Lydia changed into her own pajamas as well.

They made their way down to the kitchen together, hoping they wouldn't wake their parents.

"Where did you guys all go tonight?" Elizabeth asked, yawning as she put a kettle on the stove.

"Where _didn't_ we go is more the question. We just bar-hopped, it was fun."

Elizabeth realized she would not be getting much sleep for the rest of the night, as Lydia was definitely wide awake. "You didn't drive, did you?"

Lydia shook her head. "No, I didn't, but I probably could have, I only had a couple of beers. I didn't want to be hung over this morning. Plus, none of the girls I hang with drink much anyway."

"Good." She grabbed the kettle off the stove quickly as it began to whistle, knowing it would wake her parents, and poured them each a cup of tea. They sat at the small kitchen table, with only the light over the stove on, talking in hushed voices. "So what are your plans now? Anything on the horizon?

Lydia shrugged. "I just want to have fun this summer, you know? I mean, I'm going to look for a _real_ job, but this is it, my last summer to just be a kid, live at home, and goof around." She paused. "Is that a bad thing, to just have a little fun, one last time?"

Elizabeth smiled at the finality in her sister's tone. "No, of course it isn't...and it's not the last time you'll ever have fun, for Pete's sake. If mom and dad aren't pushing you out the door, which I'm sure they aren't, then just enjoy the summer. You're the last one at home, after all. They're going to get on each other's nerves so bad when the empty nest syndrome sets in."

They both giggled at that.

"I'm a little bit scared, I guess," Lydia confessed quietly. "This is the real deal. Life starts now."

Elizabeth remembered feeling that way when she'd graduated from college, but she'd been with Bill back then, and they were starting that new phase of life together, and it had made it so much easier. Moving to Portland, leaving her family and the few friends she'd had left, had been far scarier for her.

"You should come visit me this summer," Elizabeth said, her thoughts still in Maine. "Jane is coming soon, you should come too."

Lydia smiled. "I'd like that. I'm sorry I've never visited before, I've always felt kind of in the middle –."

"You don't need to explain," Elizabeth said, interrupting her. "I know Mom and Dad would have given you a hard time."

"Dad still thinks you belong here, and that you'll come back. Mom's still pissed at George."

"And me," Elizabeth said. "She's not pissed at Bill, though. Never Bill." She shrugged. "She'll get over it. Dad – I don't know what it will take to convince him I'm not coming back. He asks how I am, how work is, and sees that it's obvious I love it there; why wouldn't he want me to stay in a place that makes me happy?"

"Because he wants you to stay in a place that makes_ him_ happy. Right here. Boston. Preferably, Cambridge. Like, you should buy the neighbor's house."

Elizabeth laughed, then shook her head. "It's not going to happen, I love Maine too much."

Lydia grinned. "I can't wait to visit. Any hot guys?"

Elizabeth's mind, for some reason, immediately conjured up Will Darcy's face, and she felt herself blush. "Um, yeah, there are plenty of hot guys."

Lydia's eyes narrowed. "Why are you turning pink?"

"It's – it's the tea, it's hot."

"Mmhm," Lydia said, not believing a word. "No one specifically came to mind when I mentioned hot guys?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "Nope."

"Liar. So when can I come?"

"Whenever you want, just let me know ahead of time so I can try to get a few days off from work." She cleared her throat. "George showed up last night, after you left with your friends."

Lydia's eyes widened. "He did?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I was out front saying goodbye to Jane, and all of a sudden he appeared."

"I told him not to come by."

Elizabeth was caught completely by surprise by her sister's comment. "What do you mean, you told him not to come by? Have you been talking to him?"

Lydia shrugged. "He's come into the shop a few times, that's all," she replied, referring to the Starbucks where she worked. "I told him about my graduation, and he asked if you were coming. I told him I didn't know, because at the time, I wasn't sure if you were. I told him to stay away anyway, that you wouldn't want to see him."

"Well, he didn't listen," Elizabeth said, feeling annoyed. She looked closely at her sister again. "You're not becoming too friendly with him, are you?"

"I just told you, he comes into the shop once in a while. We make small talk, that's all."

"You don't tell him things about me, do you?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know..._anything_. I don't want him to know anything about my life."

"Lizzy, if he wanted to know about your life, he could just go to Maine. He knows where you live."

"He only knows that I moved to the Portland area, and believe me, _that's_ bad enough."

"Do you think you'll ever be able to be friends again? I mean, he seems genuinely sorry."

Elizabeth glared at her sister. "How do you know he's genuinely sorry? What have you two talked about?"

"Nothing big, Lizzy, geez! He – he's mentioned you a few times, and when he does, he just always seems so sad. I feel kinda bad for him."

The look on Lydia's face spoke volumes. "Don't be fooled by him, Lydia. I thought I knew him, but he proved me so wrong. He's a very good manipulator."

Lydia shrugged. "Maybe he's changed, maybe he learned his lesson."

Elizabeth stared at her sister for a few seconds, and shook her head. "You're right, he very well may have changed. But even if he has, it doesn't erase what happened between him and me, it won't. That's just the way it is."

"What – what _did_ happen between the two of you, anyway? I mean, I've heard bits and pieces, but I've never really heard the whole story."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "It's a long story, Lydia."

Lydia shrugged and glanced around the kitchen. "I'm not going anywhere."

Elizabeth hesitated, unsure of whether or not she wanted to get into the whole sordid story. But then she thought, _Why not? Maybe it will be good to talk about it. _"Fine, I'll tell you what happened, if you really want to know," she said, rising from the table, "but it's going to require another cup of tea." She put more water in the kettle and turned on the stove, then leaned back against the counter, looking at Lydia.

"Everything changed after the shooting," Elizabeth continued. "You weren't home much because of school, but you know what happened that day, right?"

Lydia nodded, her attention completely focused on her older sister. "Bill saw you with George, thought there was something going on, and went totally nuts."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That's the long and short of it, I suppose. Anyway, George was in the hospital for about a month, and when he got out, I took care of him. He was in really bad shape, and could barely do anything for himself. You know he has no family, right? His mom died of a drug overdose when he was nineteen, he has no idea who his father is, and he has no brothers or sisters. So, it was just me."

"I remember you were at his place a lot."

"I was, constantly. For almost six months, I did everything for him; cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, driving him to and from appointments...it got to the point that between taking care of him, dealing with Bill's trial, and holding down a new job, I was physically and emotionally exhausted."

"I bet, it sounds like you had a lot on your plate," Lydia said softly. The tea kettle started singing again, and she rose to carry her mug to the stove. Elizabeth poured for each of them, and they both sat back down at the table.

"I did, but I never thought twice about it. I mean, I was tired, but I felt like I was doing the right thing, doing what I was supposed to do. George would have never been in that situation if it wasn't for me...I felt guilty. Responsible. Anyway, along with those feelings, I started to feel...I don't know, something _else_ for George."

"Love?"

"I wasn't sure what it was, but it was...something. Affection and tenderness, definitely. I mean, we were already so close anyway, we had a great friendship. Or what I _thought_ was a great friendship. But I wasn't sure if what I was feeling was due to just..._proximity_, or if it was the guilt and responsibility, or if they were genuine feelings. One night, about four months after the shooting, I had a complete meltdown. I was exhausted and confused, I didn't know what to do, what to feel...I just knew that I didn't feel like myself and didn't know how I felt about anything anymore."

"What about Bill?"

"What about him?"

"Did you still have feelings for him?"

"Oh, sure. Loathing, anger, fear; I could go on and on. Any good feelings that I had where he was concerned had been completely and thoroughly obliterated by him during our one year of marriage, believe me."

"Geez, he was a bastard, wasn't he?"

Elizabeth nodded. "That he was."

"So what happened after the meltdown?"

Elizabeth let out a long sigh. "George..." she hesitated, not sure how to say what she wanted to say. "He – he knew I had feelings for him back in high school, I'm sure it had been obvious. That night...he asked me if I wanted to be with him. He told me that it was what he had always wanted, even way back then. He said it was always me."

"Did you believe him?" Lydia asked, eyes wide.

"I wanted to. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm sure I was thinking that he was finally saying the words I'd waited forever to hear. But then I wondered, why didn't he ever tell me when we were in high school? Or in college, before I met Bill?"

"Did you ask him? I would've asked him."

Elizabeth smiled softly. "I did. He said I was too good for him, that back then, he was only interested in sex and getting relief from all the shit he had to deal with from his mother. He said he didn't want to ruin our friendship, or hurt me."

"Wow. That – that almost sounds...sweet."

"It does, doesn't it? I know better, now."

"Did you become a couple?" Lydia asked, leaning on the table, holding her chin in one hand.

"Well, sort of, but it wasn't something where one day we were friends, and the next we were more. It didn't happen that way. It slowly, very _very_ slowly grew into this little, I don't know...fledgling romance."

"Awww."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No _awww_. There was nothing _awww_ about it. He knew that I wanted to go slow, that I couldn't just go barreling into a relationship, especially a physical one. I – I had only ever been with Bill, he knew that. I was just getting out of _that _mess of a relationship, I wasn't ready to go charging into another."

"Smart."

"Yes, that's what I thought too. And I still wasn't really sure about how I felt. We had been around each other, so much. Was it just comfort, convenience? Guilt? Or were my feelings real? I was still so confused." She paused for a moment. "George was patient for a little while, but then his patience began to run out. We argued one night, about a month later, and he said a horrible thing to me..."

Elizabeth's voice trailed off as she remembered his words and the coldness in his blue eyes as he'd looked at her and said, _"I took a bullet for you, Lizzy, the least you could do is give me a thank-you fuck." _

"What – what did he say to you?" Lydia asked, sitting up straight again.

"It doesn't matter," Elizabeth replied, not wanting to repeat the words. "I walked away, but I ended up giving him a second chance. He kept calling me, and when I wouldn't answer, he kept texting me. For _days_ this continued. First he was angry, then he just made up excuses, then he just kept apologizing, begging me to come back, telling me it was the pills, he didn't know what he was saying, blah blah blah. Stupid me, I believed all of it and went back. We talked a lot, and I explained how I felt again, and he said he got it, he really did. He said he wanted me, only me, and he would wait, he would be patient, because I was worth it. And I _believed_ him, I did. For a while, he really _did_ seem to get it."

"Did you – did you ever...?"

"No, we didn't. I couldn't. I would try to make my mind go blank when we were kissing, or when he was touching me, and just concentrate on what I was feeling instead of thinking so much, but I would always end up pushing him away. I just wasn't at the same place he was, mentally. To him, the sex wasn't a big deal. He thought that because it was me and him, it was easy. But for me, sex was the biggest deal in the world, for a lot of reasons. I'd had horrible experiences with Bill..." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her teacup. _I can't go there with Lydia, _she thought. "But it wasn't just that. The reasons that it _wasn't_ a big deal to George were the same reasons that it _was_ a big deal to me. Does that make sense?"

Lydia nodded. "I think so."

"It was _because_ it was me, and _because_ it was him," Elizabeth continued. "For me, it wasn't easy at all. It seemed like such a huge risk, physically and emotionally, and I was just trying to find my way after everything with Bill." She sighed and shook her head. "It just – it wasn't easy. I wasn't ready."

"So what went wrong?"

"He lied," Elizabeth said quietly. "Not even a month after that conversation, after telling me he understood, that he'd wait for me, I popped by his apartment unexpectedly one afternoon. He was in bed with some blonde bimbo, screwing her brains out."

Lydia's jaw dropped. "Are you fucking _serious_?"

"Completely fucking serious. He saw me and flipped out. I got out of there and drove straight to Jane's. I was such a mess by the time I got there, I'm surprised I didn't wreck the car on the way over."

"Oh, Jane must have freaked out," Lydia said softly, shaking her head.

"She did! I practically had to physically restrain her from going to his apartment, she kept saying she was going to cut his balls off." Elizabeth could smile about it now, but back then, she was too shocked and hurt to think it was funny.

Lydia chuckled. "Sounds like Jane."

Elizabeth nodded. "It does, doesn't it? She knew a little of what was going on with George and me, and she always warned me not to get too involved with him. She liked him and all, I just think that she saw things in him that I didn't, things that weren't very appealing. He had another side to him, one that I was blind to, obviously."

"Did you ever talk to George again?"

"Yeah, I did. After a week of more phone calls and more texts, I caved. I shouldn't have, I should have just kept ignoring him, but as long as he kept calling and texting, I couldn't get past it. Of course, he had excuses for doing what he did, but then it all came down to blame."

"What did he say? Did he try to blame you?"

Elizabeth's mind slipped back to that Friday in January, a little more than two years ago, like it was yesterday.

"_What did you expect me to do," he yelled at her, "wait until you deemed me good enough to sleep with?"_

"_That's not what this is about, and you know it," she replied quietly, refusing to yell. "We've both been through a horrible trauma, and I wanted to make sure these – these feelings that we're having, or that I'm having at least, aren't because of that. And you know about Bill... It's never been about you being good enough, George, don't you dare say that to me. You _know_ what this is about for me."_

"_Oh, that's right," he went on sarcastically, "put it all on me, make me look like the bad guy. The thing is, Lizzy, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be in this fucking mess to begin with, all scarred up and in pain. You're here all the time, cooking, cleaning, taking care of me like I'm a fucking child! I saved your life from that mad piece of shit you married, and this is how I get repaid? I get a _maid_? Oh, I forgot, you feel guilty, right? You feel bad for me, right? Yeah, you feel bad alright, but only bad enough to do anything for me but fuck me. No, no sex with George, it just doesn't _feel_ right."_

_Elizabeth blanched as he laid into her and mocked her feelings. Too shocked to respond to any of it, she could do nothing but stand there and let him carry on._

"_You come over here, play the loving girlfriend, wind me up tighter than a fucking drum, and all I get is a big red stop sign, time and time again." His blue eyes were cold as he spoke, his voice low and scornful. "Don't you think you owe me something more than that? It's your fault that it's come to this, that I'm behaving this way. You know that, right? Don't you want to try to fix it, make it better?"_

_Elizabeth finally found her voice. "Isn't that what the blond slut was for?"_

_George smirked. "She's been helpful. At least she's always been willing, she does have that going for her."_

_Elizabeth's mouth gaped open. "What – what does that mean? That – that wasn't the first time?"_

_He'd had the audacity to laugh, and his eyes grew wide. "The first time? God, Lizzy, are you really that naïve?" He shook his head, and his voice softened slightly. "Look, I really care about you, and I want to make this work, but I need things. More than what you're giving me. I can't live like this."_

_Elizabeth swallowed thickly, and knew her face was probably pale. She knew exactly what he was thinking, and she voiced the words. "In order for us to – to move forward, I need to sleep with you, have sex with you, and satisfy your needs. That's what it all comes down to, right? I need to – to repay you, is that it?" _

_George looked at her for a long moment. "It sounds kind of cheap when you say it like that, but for us to be together, yes. I need you to give me what I want, what I need." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I feel like it's mine, anyway, like you're already mine. You belong to me. You're damaged, Lizzy, just like me. Don't you see it? No one else is ever going to want you."_

The memory of that conversation made Elizabeth's stomach turn, and it took a few seconds before she realized that Lydia had said her name. "What? I'm – I'm sorry, I got lost there for a minute."

"I was just asking what he said to you," Lydia repeated softly, reaching out to gently stroke Elizabeth's wrist. "If you don't want to tell me, it's okay." She could see that her older sister was a bit upset, and she was beginning to regret asking so many questions.

Elizabeth let out a deep breath. "He just said some horrible things, and I couldn't – I couldn't just forgive him and be with him anymore, not even as a friend. It wasn't even what he did. I mean, it _was_ what he did, but...the things he said to me were so much more hurtful than any of his actions."

Lydia stared down at her tea cup. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. And I want you to know, I want you to believe me, I haven't said _anything_ about you when he asks, I really haven't." She glanced up at Elizabeth and cleared her throat. "So why did he come last night? What did he want?"

Elizabeth shook her head, still in disbelief over seeing him. "To say that he's sorry, and to find out if I've forgiven him yet. Oh, and he told me he loves me, which is too ridiculous to even contemplate." Lydia's eyes widened slightly, unnoticed by Elizabeth, who was now staring down at her own cup. "I don't believe him, of course. I don't trust anything he says."

"But what – what if it's true? What if he – what if he _does_ love you, and he realized it after you were gone?" Lydia asked, her voice quiet.

Elizabeth looked up at her sister and shrugged. "He doesn't love me. If he did, he never would have treated me that way. Plus, it's too little, _way_ too late. I don't love him, I don't even want to be friends with him, not ever. I was so confused back then, everything was so messed up in my head. He knew it, and he took advantage of that. When all that stuff happened with him, it took a while, but I realized I didn't love him, not at all. I'd been letting guilt and responsibility muck up my feelings, and it confused me even more. It wasn't love, though, definitely not."

"Not like when you were in high school?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "A high school crush is not real love, Lydia. George and I were best friends, and yes, back then, I had a huge crush on him, but I grew out of it."

"And you met Bill."

Elizabeth gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "Yup, I met Bill. Lucky me," she said, rolling her eyes.

It was quiet for a moment until Lydia spoke again. "Boy, your track record with men _sucks_," she said seriously. After a second, she realized that she had actually spoken the thought out loud, and her eyes widened as she looked at her sister, mortified.

Luckily, Elizabeth was smiling, and began laughing. Lydia didn't know what to do at first, but eventually joined in.

After taking a breath, Elizabeth nodded her head, still grinning widely. "It certainly does, Lydia. It certainly does."

* * *

Elizabeth woke Lydia up to say goodbye, and the sisters shared a long hug, with Lydia promising once again to avoid George Wickham, and Elizabeth reminding her to plan a trip to Portland for the near future.

Her parting with her parents was somber, at best. Elizabeth hugged her father tightly, and almost became teary. She did miss him, missed his presence and spending time with him, but not enough to give up what she had now and move back to Cambridge. The look in his eyes told her that he finally understood that his favorite daughter wasn't coming back; she'd made a new home now.

"Will you come to visit again soon?" Mr Bennet asked quietly.

"I'll try to come again over the summer. You know, you and Mom could always come to Portland. I don't have a spare room at the house, but there are some wonderful hotels and inns. You'd love it, I know that you would."

Mrs Bennet chimed in. "Oh, Lizzy, you know your father shouldn't be driving such long distances. It's just too far for us to go."

"Take a bus. Fly. There's an airport right in Portland, I could pick you up."

"Oh, nonsense. If you want to see us, you'll just have to come here. That's the way it should be, anyway," Mrs Bennet prattled on. "Children are supposed to visit their parents, not the other way around."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Okay, Mom, whatever you say." She barely gave her mother a brief hug, and grabbed her bag. "Maybe I'll see you over the summer then. I'll call you soon."

With one last apologetic glance at her father, she was out the door.

During the drive back to Portland, she thought about how she'd felt as she talked to Lydia about George and everything that happened with him, and was relieved to realize that she felt mostly embarrassed and ashamed; not of her actions back then, or of how she'd conducted herself, but more of how she let herself be manipulated and taken advantage of by him. The anger and the hurt she'd felt for so long had faded almost to nothing, though she knew they would never go away enough for her to forgive George and let him back into her life. Too much had happened, even since that last confrontation with him. He knew her, the way her mind worked, the hell she'd been through with Bill, and he took advantage of that. In his own way, he ended up becoming almost like Bill, just not to the same degree.

It wasn't too long after that final conversation with George that she'd decided she needed to leave Cambridge. Once the trial was over, and her divorce became final, she was gone. No looking back. She spent her last months there looking for a new place to call home, and had remembered one of her friends in college mentioning how great Portland was. She started to do more research on the seaside city and liked what she saw, and was pleased that it wasn't _too_ far from Boston. She couldn't really imagine leaving New England, anyway; she loved it too much to leave.

Of course, it had been a complete risk moving there with no job lined up. She'd squirreled away every penny she'd made for almost a year and added it to the meager amount she managed to save while married to Bill, so that when the time came, she'd have the resources to secure a decent place to live. Luckily, Maddie Gardiner had come through with the perfect little house, and everything else seemed to fall into place after that. Everything, that is, except her self-esteem and her happiness. Those things took much longer to bloom again, but she felt like she was finally getting back to being herself.

She sighed as the familiar sight of Portland's skyline came into view, and knew she only had another fifteen minutes or so before she would be pulling into the parking garage. _Home sweet home._

* * *

"I think it's perfect, I really do," Will said to Charles as they lounged on a bench near the ferry docks, waiting for the boat to arrive and take them back to the island.

"Do you think it's big enough?" Charles asked, looking over some notes he'd made while he and Will had visited the possible site of Charles' first foray into the business world. "I mean, I don't want a huge place, but I don't want some little hole in the wall either."

"It's definitely a good size, and I think the glass wall behind the bar is cool, it's a nice touch. It makes it look bigger, and your customers will be able to watch the brewmaster as he does his thing. People are into that, especially the real beer freaks."

"Yeah, I liked that about the place, definitely." Charles glanced up from his notes. "What time do you need to get Jack?"

Will glanced at his watch. "As soon as we dock. It was nice of the Gradys to take him for a few hours, but I don't want to take advantage."

"Why don't you bring him by for dinner, we'll throw some burgers on the grill or something."

Will slunk down low on the bench, resting his head on the back of it and stretching his long legs out in front of him, soaking in the afternoon sun. He cast Charles a sideways glance. "Don't you have a girlfriend or something?"

Charles laughed. "What the hell does that mean?"

Will shrugged and closed his eyes again. "I don't know, you're always hanging around on the island. What do you do for fun?"

"I come here."

"I always see you around home."

"You've been living here for, like, a minute."

Will chuckled. "Still, you're always on the island."

"I come to Portland at night," Charles replied without hesitation. "I have my fun, don't you worry about me."

"So...you stay overnight here?" Will asked, curious about his new friend.

"Yeah, a couple of nights a week, usually."

"Where do you stay?"

"None of your business."

Will grinned. "Okay, I get it."

Charles cleared his throat. "I have friends that I crash with."

"Female friends?"

Charles pursed his lips. "Occasionally."

Will grunted.

"Maybe some night you can come with me, I'll take you to some of the hot spots." The words were tentative, as Charles wasn't sure how they would be received.

"I'm home with Jack every night, so I wouldn't count on that," Will said, smiling slightly. The last thing he wanted to think about was being out in the bar scene.

"You need to find a babysitter," Charles said, standing up from the bench to stretch.

Will laughed. "Like you just said, I've been living here for about a minute. It's too soon to put Jack with a babysitter."

"I bet the Gradys' daughter would do it. I think she's old enough."

"Yeah, well, I'll take that into consideration," Will said flatly.

"Well, look who it is," Charles called out. "Hey there, Lizzy."

Will practically tripped over his own feet, he stood up so quickly. He turned, and yes, there she was. Elizabeth Bennet. Headed toward the bench where they were standing.

"Hi Charles," she said, smiling brightly. She turned to Will, still with her smile in place. "Hi Will."

Will smiled, and was horrified when he felt his face flush. "Hi – hi Elizabeth."

Her attention turned back to Charles. "Are you heading back to the island?"

"Yeah, we just finished looking at some property in Portland," Charles answered. "Looks like I may be opening that pub after all."

"Oh Charles, that's fantastic!" she replied enthusiastically. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you found the right place. Anywhere I would know?"

Charles went on to tell Elizabeth about the property, where it was located, and who had owned it before. Will just stood there, silent but transfixed, unsure of what to say or do. He could only stare at Elizabeth, at her beautiful, expressive eyes, and the way they were lit with genuine happiness for Charles. She asked him questions about the business he was planning to open, smart, intelligent questions, and he was relieved when Charles could actually answer them, therefore enabling Will to remain tongue-tied.

Elizabeth turned to Will, and was surprised to see him gazing at her so intently. His cheeks were slightly pink, and his eyes were dark and intense. Very rapidly, her mind formulated and latched on to the thought that he was probably one of the best-looking men she'd had the pleasure to look at in a long time, and she felt herself blush. "Did you have a good weekend?" she asked, directing her question to him, hoping the tint to her cheeks wasn't noticeable.

He nodded. "Oh, yeah. It – it was fine. Jack and I went to visit his school after we left the library on Friday."

Elizabeth grinned again. "I told him I was positive it would have a good playground, I hope he wasn't disappointed."

"No, no, not at all, it was great. He was really excited about it. How – how was your sister's graduation?" Will was mortified that he kept stuttering, but he couldn't help it.

"It was good, thanks. I'm glad I went, but I'm happy to be back home."

The ferry had docked, and the three of them boarded at the same time. Will experienced the great pleasure of walking behind Elizabeth, and had a hard time keeping his eyes pointed straight ahead, instead of lower, where they kept wanting to travel and linger somewhere else.

Charles suggested they sit together, and so they did. Will remained mostly silent, watching the way Charles interacted with Elizabeth, not sure if he was seeing something there or not. They were so comfortable with each other, so...familiar. That thought made him withdraw even more, and by the time the ferry arrived at the island, he felt sullen and irritated.

"Hey, Lizzy, what are you doing tonight?" Charles asked out of the blue as they disembarked.

Elizabeth looked surprised by the question. "Oh, um, nothing, really. I need to sleep, my sister kept me up 'til all hours this morning, and I have to work tomorrow."

"Why don't you come over for dinner? Will is coming over with Jack, we're gonna throw some burgers on the grill or something. Come hang out with us."

Will's eyebrows raised. _I don't remember saying we were coming over. _He turned and spoke to Charles, who was smiling oddly. "I have to see how tired Jack is first."

"Oh, come on, the kid's gotta eat, right?" Charles said, slapping Will's shoulder. "Burgers at my place. You in Lizzy?"

Elizabeth shrugged, smiling again. "Sure, why not? Do you want me to bring something?"

Charles grinned at her. "Just your pretty little self."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I think I can manage that, but I'll bring a bottle of wine too."

"Sounds good. Hey, you want a lift to your place? Will's cart is parked over there," Charles said, pointing across the small dirt lot. "It's only a two-seater, but you could sit on my lap." He winked at her and smiled widely, causing her to laugh.

Will's eyes opened a bit wider, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Elizabeth replied saucily, lifting one eyebrow. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. I need the walk after that drive from Boston. What time tonight?"

"Well, Will has to get Jack, so how about in an hour or so?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Sounds good. See you then," she said, waving as she walked away. Both men waved back.

As they walked toward Will's cart, Charles turned to him, noticing his dour expression. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Will said, a bit rougher than he intended to.

"Do you mind that I invited Lizzy?"

Will glanced at him, brows furrowed. "It's your house, why would I mind? Although, I didn't say I was coming over."

"Oh, come on, it's early, Jack will be fine."

They arrived at the cart and climbed in, and Will focused on driving, staring straight ahead, remaining silent.

"So, she's pretty, huh?" Charles asked, looking at Will.

"Who?" Will asked, even though he knew exactly whom Charles was referring to.

Charles looked at him with that same odd grin he wore earlier. "Lizzy."

"You mean Elizabeth?"

Charles laughed. "Yeah, _Elizabeth._"

Will cleared his throat. "Yeah, I guess."

Charles outright guffawed. "You _guess_? You couldn't take your eyes off of her when she showed up, and you blushed like a damn teenage girl when you were talking to her. Not to mention, you kept looking at her ass when we were boarding the ferry."

Will shot him a nasty look, but remained silent.

"So, you guess?" Charles repeated, obviously waiting for an answer.

Will, unbelievably, felt himself blush again. "Okay, yes, she's pretty. What's your point? Or are you just bugging the shit out of me for fun?"

The teasing tone left Charles' voice, and he spoke quietly. "Look, I'm not trying to bust your balls. I just noticed that _you_ noticed, that's all. I'm sorry if I went too far." The last thing he wanted to do was make Will uncomfortable, in light of his history, but it was obvious that Will had _definitely_ noticed Elizabeth.

Will sighed, shaking his head slightly as he drove. "It's fine, you didn't go too far," he said calmly. "I _was_ looking at her. She's – she's just – I don't know. I don't know what she is, I don't know what I think." He shrugged, not knowing what to say, and feeling flustered all over again.

"She's _pretty_," Charles said emphatically, grinning at the fact that Will was tripping over his words, "_and_, she's unattached. I used to have a thing for her, when she first moved here. Asked her out on a date and everything."

Will glanced at Charles, then looked straight ahead, then glanced back at Charles again, swerving slightly as he drove. "You – you asked her out? Really?" _And she's unattached?_

"Yeah, really. She turned me down, though. Probably a good thing. She's a nice girl. Not that I'm not a nice guy, but we're better off as friends. She's kind of like a little sister to me now."

Will nodded, not sure how to respond to that. After thinking for a moment, he came to the conclusion that what he _was_ sure of was this: Yes, she was pretty. That much he had already decided. But now, he also knew that the feelings he experienced when he looked at and stood next to Elizabeth Bennet were decidedly not in the least bit brotherly.

* * *

As Elizabeth walked home from the ferry dock, her thoughts briefly touched on her trip to Cambridge, and how it amazed her that such a short trip could have brought with it such a tumult of emotions. She sighed and pushed those thoughts out of her head, and eventually, her mind became more preoccupied with how she had spent the last hour, chatting with Charles and Will. Well, chatting with Charles, really. Will, apparently, didn't have much to say. What a difference between the two men! She knew they were about the same age, or guessed that they were, but they were such light years apart in personality.

Charles was all brashness and flirt, and with his shoulder-length mane of blonde hair, baby-blue eyes, and surfer-boy good looks, he could totally get away with it. She knew a little of his ways, only because he had dated Kate – casually – for about six months. When Kate had decided that she wanted something a bit more committed, more serious, Charles backed off, and that was the end of that. Still, he and Kate had remained friends – it was really impossible not to like Charles – and Elizabeth considered him a good friend as well. They were very comfortable with each other, and conversation and banter were never lacking when they were together. _How he and his sister came from the same parents is beyond me._

Will Darcy, on the other hand, was a completely different animal, and as her mind traveled from Charles to him, she felt an odd _thump_ in the pit of her stomach. Will was – at least in her eyes – much more handsome then Charles, but where Charles was sunny and outgoing and flirty, Will was dark and intense and brooding. He still seemed uncomfortable around her, and she honestly couldn't figure out why. She thought they had broken the ice so nicely at the library on Friday; his charming, unique apology, and his honesty about his actions and behavior, had made her see him in a different light.

And then, when he had asked her that question – '_Do you ever wish that you had a second chance to meet someone again for the first time?' – _it hadstruck such a soft spot within her, and she knew exactly why; it was completely genuine. He meant it, and somehow, in her gut, she knew that.

His lack of contribution to the conversation on the ferry was unnerving at first, especially when accompanied with those long stares, but eventually she was able to overlook the silence and the staring and just talk to Charles, figuring that Will would join in when he wanted to.

As she turned to walk up the short driveway that led to the Gardiner home, she remembered what Maddie had told her about Will when they went down to meet him at the docks on the day he moved here. Maddie had said that she thought he was 'looking for a change', but knowing what she did now about the loss of his wife, Elizabeth wondered if he was just running away from his grief. He seemed withdrawn, but after such a great loss, who wouldn't be?

She remembered feeling the same way herself, not too long ago. She certainly wasn't comparing what she had gone through to what he had endured, not at all. Still, she recalled how she'd felt back then, after the end of her marriage, and then following that, the end of her 'relationship' – whatever it was – with George. Mentally and emotionally, she had felt so...off-course. Discombobulated. It was like she was adrift in the ocean, with no mooring, nothing to hold her in place, and nothing for her to hold tight to.

Moving here, coming to Maine, had changed all of that. If anything, she was certain that at the very least, she was proof of the healing properties that seemed to be magically incorporated into the island air; that, and the restorative power of good friendships with kind, strong, generous people. Charlotte, Kate, Mary, Charles, and of course the Gardiners...they were all so new to her life, but had enriched it tremendously, and unbeknownst to them, had helped her mind – and her heart – heal as well.

With that thought, she promised herself that if Will _did_ go to Charles' house tonight with Jack, she'd try a little harder to draw him out of his shell, and wouldn't let his silence deter her. She could already see that he and Charles were becoming friends, and thought that maybe Charles' inability to be anything but an extrovert would encourage Will to relax a little bit and let his guard down.

_Will may have moved here looking for change, _she thought_, but he has the chance to gain so much more._

* * *

"One hour!" Charles yelled from his front porch. "You better be here if you want some of that stout!" Will waved back over his shoulder, shaking his head as he drove away.

By the time they had reached Charles' house, Will had managed to steer the conversation away from Elizabeth Bennet, but Charles had also talked him into joining them for dinner that night. Will knew Jack would be excited, as he was the type of kid who enjoyed being in the company of others, children and adults alike._ If social skills are passed through genes_, he thought, _Jack definitely inherited his from his mother._

When they were married, Anne had loved to entertain. They had a small, close-knit group of friends, and though they didn't get together as often once Jack came along, they'd still made it a point to invite people over for cozy little dinner parties. Will always had a good time, but what he'd enjoyed most of all was watching Anne, so much in her element, loving the role of hostess.

As he headed to the Grady's house to pick up Jack, he let himself think of Anne, as he sometimes did when he had moments alone. He missed her still, but not in the same way he missed her two years ago, or even a year ago. The feeling of not being able to live without her, of feeling as though he was suffocating and couldn't possibly carry on, had completely dwindled away. After all, he _had_ proven that he could live without her and carry on; he'd had no choice in the matter.

No, it seemed like now, it was more the companionship that he missed; the knowledge that the person you loved was waiting at home for you, and _only_ for you. He missed _being_ that someone, as well; he had truly loved being that person for Anne. The emotional and physical intimacy, the security, the sharing of desires, of dreams, of fears, the feeling of belonging – all of that had been wrapped up in her. Yes, he did miss her, but he missed everything that she had represented in his life as well.

He thought about Elizabeth again, and about his ridiculous behavior on the ferry. Then he thought ahead to dinner, to the fact that he would have another opportunity to socialize with her. Tonight, they were actually going to eat together; they weren't riding the ferry, or seeing each other for five or ten minutes in passing. They were going to 'hang out', as Charles had put it. In response to this thought, he felt a peculiar feeling in his stomach, almost a twinge of nervous anticipation. _I can't be nervous_, he thought, shaking his head, _it just won't do_.

It was then that he decided to make more of an effort to be more open, more outgoing. If he wanted to be more comfortable around Elizabeth, around any new people for that matter, he would have to push himself a little. He _wanted_ to have friends here, wanted to have people around him that he cared about, and that cared about him, and Jack. In Charles, he had already found a person like that; somehow, he already sensed that the friendship he was forming with Charles would be one that lasted a lifetime.

Being easy and open didn't come naturally to him, but he would try. He would make the effort; listen, talk, smile, and laugh more. Enjoy his life. _Live _his life. Starting tonight.

* * *

Okay, so just a _little_ D & E time, but a little is better than none! Please leave a review if you can. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 7

_Let's go to the cookout, shall we? Thanks to those of you who are reading and reviewing, I appreciate it! And thanks to my awesome beta team, Mariana and Jan, for all their help._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

"Is there gonna be other kids at Mr Bingley's house?" Jack asked his father as they drove toward Charles' house.

"I don't think so, pal. You're it," Will replied, glancing at his son.

"Oh," Jack said quietly.

"Sorry about that." Will cleared his throat. "I think it's just the two of us and Miss Bennet."

Jack's expression brightened. "Oh, that's good. I like Miss Bennet."

The corners of Will's lips lifted slightly. "I can see that you do."

"Do you like her now, Dad? Are you friends?"

"Well, I never _didn't_ like her," Will said, "and I do think we're friends. At least a little."

"That's good. She's a good reader. Can we go to the library again on Friday?"

Will nodded. "Sure. Maybe Sam can go with us, we can stop at that little candy store again."

"Yeah, that would be awesome," Jack said, his face already lit with anticipation.

As they pulled into Charles' small driveway, Will noticed Vixen already parked there. _Maddie must have let Elizabeth borrow it_, he thought to himself as he parked next to the bright red cart.

"Mrs Gardiner's cart is really cool," Jack said as they climbed out of their own, much smaller black cart. He walked around Vixen, looking her over. "It can fit more people than ours."

"Well," Will replied, "since it's just you and me, two seats are enough, right?"

Jack nodded. "Right."

Will reached back into the cart and grabbed the two plastic bags that he had placed between the seats. He'd stopped at the market after picking up Jack, and was pleased to see they had some fresh sea scallops and shrimp. He bought a package of bacon and some cocktail sauce as well, thinking it wouldn't be polite to show up empty handed. Scallops wrapped in bacon and shrimp cocktail were easy enough to throw together. He'd also packed some juice boxes for Jack.

They rounded the corner into Charles' backyard, and Will was surprised to see Maddie seated at the table with both Elizabeth and Charles. Maddie spotted them immediately.

"Hello Will, hello Jack!" she called out, smiling widely at them.

Will smiled in return and waved as they walked toward the deck. "This is a pleasant surprise," he said, directing his comment toward Maddie. He said hello to Elizabeth as well, smiling slightly at her as he set the bags on the table.

"Oh, I'm not staying long," Maddie replied. "Ed sent me on a mission to procure some stout from Mr. Beer, here." She elbowed Charles lightly. "I thought I might as well sample some of Elizabeth's guacamole, I just can't resist it. It's fabulous."

"You've had it before," Elizabeth replied. "Nothing is different."

"But it's just so _good_," Maddie gushed, dipping another tortilla chip into the thick green concoction that sat in a bowl in the center of the large teak table.

Charles stood and reached out to shake Will's hand, then Jack's, and ruffled the boy's shaggy hair. "Glad you guys could make it."

"Thanks for having us. I brought some shrimp and scallops," Will said, gesturing to the bags.

"Good man!" Charles replied, slapping Will on the back. "What are we doing with them?"

Will looked puzzled. "Um – I assumed that we would eat them?"

Elizabeth laughed, and the sound immediately made Will's eyes shift to her, and he found himself grinning stupidly in response.

"No, I mean, _how_ do you want to cook them?" Charles asked, glaring comically at Elizabeth.

"Oh, um, I don't know," Will answered. He watched as Jack started a conversation with Elizabeth and Maddie. "How do you usually cook them?"

"How about we throw them on the grill?"

"Sounds good to me." At the moment, he was more interested in watching Elizabeth as she talked with Jack than he was in figuring out how to make the shellfish in the bag edible.

"I think I have some toothpicks in the house, we can use them to secure the bacon." Charles got up from the table to walk inside.

"Okay," Will said, acknowledging Charles but keeping his eyes on Elizabeth and Jack.

"What else did they have there?" Elizabeth was asking. She leaned toward Jack, listening attentively.

"There's a jungle gym an' swings, an' some see-saws."

Will deduced that they were talking about Jack's school.

"My dad went on a see-saw with me, it was really funny. He's too tall for them."

Elizabeth glanced at Will, standing across the deck from her. "I'm sure he is," she said, smiling at him.

Will spoke up. "I think I bruised my chin with one of my knees."

Both Elizabeth and Maddie laughed, and Elizabeth turned her attention back to Jack. "Did you do anything else?"

"Naw, we didn't have enough time, but we're goin' back this week, right Dad?" Will nodded. "He said we can go to the library too. Are you gonna read again?"

"Oh, you mean at story hour?" Elizabeth asked, and Jack nodded. "I will if I have enough time, but I can't promise."

Jack frowned a bit. "Okay. My dad's a good reader too, he can read if you can't."

Will held up a hand. "Whoa, Jack, please don't volunteer me for anything," he said, laughing slightly.

"But you do all the voices an' stuff really good too, just like Miss Bennet."

Maddie spoke up. "Oh, now, that I would pay to see," she said teasingly.

"Me too," Elizabeth said, grinning widely. "We're always looking for volunteers."

"I'll keep that in mind," Will said, smiling back at her, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. It was amazing, he thought, how her eyes just lit up when she smiled; he didn't think he'd ever seen brown eyes quite like hers.

Charles came out of the house. "I couldn't find toothpicks, but I have these," he said, holding up some long, thin metal skewers. He walked over to Will and put them in his hand. "Have at it."

"Um, do you have any butter and garlic?" Will asked.

"Sure," Charles said. "Follow me."

"Sorry, I should have asked you before." Will followed him through the sliding doors from the deck, into the kitchen. "I need a small saucepan too."

"Hey, I apologize if Jack is bored," Charles said sincerely as he unhooked a small saucepan from the rack hanging over the center-island stove. "I don't have a lot of stuff that would interest a five-year-old kid."

Will shrugged and set the skewers on the counter. "He'll be fine, he brought some things to keep himself busy."

"He can play games on my computer if he wants to." Charles' eyes suddenly opened wide. "Oh, you know what I _do_ have?" He handed the pan to Will, then rubbed both hands together excitedly. "I have a _serious_ squirt gun arsenal." He wiggled his eyebrows before turning to retrieve the butter and fresh garlic cloves from the refrigerator. "Can he get wet?"

"I don't care, as long as he doesn't care."

"I mean, I won't soak him, but he'll definitely get wet."

"That's fine."

"Great. I may have to challenge him to a water battle." Charles grinned, and Will would have sworn that Jack was not the only five-year-old present at the moment.

Charles handed him the butter and garlic, and also a bottle of his home-brewed beer with a pint glass. "Here, do your thing. I'm going to dig up those squirt guns. I think they're in the basement."

He disappeared, and Will first opened and poured the beer slowly into the glass, careful to avoid drawing out the sediment at the bottom of the bottle. When he took a sip, he was astonished, again, at just how good it was. _The man knows his beer. _After taking another prolonged sip, he then went about slowly melting the butter in the saucepan. He searched through a few drawers, but had no luck finding a garlic press. Hearing the slider open, he turned toward it, and smiled when he saw Maddie poking her head in.

"I'm heading home, just wanted to say goodbye. Where did Charles disappear to?"

"He's in the basement looking for his squirt gun cache."

Maddie laughed. "Oh Lord, that man just refuses to grow up. Tell him I said goodbye and I'll give him a call tomorrow morning, we have another meeting with the bank."

"Oh, you do?" Will asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yes, I think we're moving forward. Charles told me about all the help you've given him, it's just wonderful. He's wanted to do this for so long, I'm glad it's finally becoming a reality for him."

Will grinned. "I'm happy to help. He's got some great ideas, he just needed to flesh them out a little more."

"Well, you certainly got him to do that. Now, if you could just teach him how to type!" Maddie exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Will laughed, and she grinned back. "I'm off with my stout. Enjoy your dinner!"

"Bye Maddie."

A moment later, Will heard Charles coming down the hall toward the kitchen, and began to speak. "Maddie just left, she said she'll call you in the morning. Do you have a garlic pr –." Glancing up, he froze mid-sentence. "Holy shit, are you serious?" He looked at the brightly colored plastic squirt guns that Charles held in his arms. There had to be at least five or six of them, and they were huge.

"Cool, huh?" Charles asked. "Jack will dig these, I'm sure. Oh, um, no, I don't have a garlic press. Just smash it on the cutting board over there, it always works for me."

He went out the slider and shut the door, and from inside the house, Will heard Jack's loud _'Wow!'_, and knew that the squirt guns were indeed a hit. Not a moment later, the slider opened, and Elizabeth came in quickly, shutting the door firmly behind her before looking back outside through the glass.

"Leave it to Charles to have squirt guns," she said, shaking her head and grinning a little.

He looked up from the garlic clove he was just about to annihilate and smiled at her. "You're safe in here. He wouldn't squirt you anyway."

Elizabeth raised a brow at him incredulously. "Charles? You want to bet?"

Will laughed. "No, I guess I don't, not when you say it like that."

She walked over to stand across from him, on the other side of the island that housed the stove. "What are you making?"

"Oh, um, just a little something to put on the – the scallops before I grill them. It's just some melted butter with a little bit of garlic, nothing fancy."

"Sounds yummy. Are you putting it on the shrimp too?"

He shrugged and took another sip of his beer. "I could, if you'd like. It would probably taste pretty good." He cleared his throat. "So, you – you like this stuff? Shellfish?"

She nodded. "I pretty much like everything. I'm easy to please."

"Me too." He smashed the garlic with the flat side of a carving knife, and slowly scraped it off the board and into his hand, before dropping it into the melted butter.

Will was trying his best not to stare at her, but it was getting to be difficult. She was dressed in jeans, as they all were, due to the still slightly cool June evenings, and wore a simple long sleeved top, in a deep burgundy color. It was a v-neck, and the material looked very, _very_ soft. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and he had seen when she walked into the house that she had abandoned her shoes entirely.

"Um, I need to get the scallops and shrimp, they're outside," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse. "I might as well just thread them onto the skewers in here."

"You'll be safer," Elizabeth responded, smiling. He nodded in response, just once, and she immediately thought, _Oh no, the nod! _"Um, do you need some help?"

"No, no, it's just the one bag. I'll be right back."

Will walked out the door, and was immediately assaulted by streams of water. Caught by surprise, he yelled loudly and started laughing, scrambling for the bag, before sprinting back inside of the house. The last thing he heard was Jack's hysterical laughter before he closed the door firmly.

Sighing loudly, and still chuckling a little, he turned to put the bag on the counter. Water was dripping from his face and hair, and the front and back of his sweatshirt were fairly wet. Upon glancing at Elizabeth, he noticed she was covering her mouth with her hand, and it was obvious she was trying not to laugh.

He held his arms out from his body. "I'm wounded, and you're giggling," he said seriously.

Elizabeth burst out laughing, and as it had before, the sound brought a smile to his face. It wasn't forced, it was a natural, uninhibited sound that brightened her eyes even further, and he knew right then that he wanted to make her laugh as much as possible.

"I should have taken you up on your offer and let _you_ go out to get everything." He glanced outside again, and saw Jack running across the backyard with one of the squirt guns in his hands, feet bare, chasing Charles and having a ball.

"I'm glad you didn't. I'll grab you a towel, I think I can probably find one," Elizabeth offered, and rose from the stool she had just sat down on. She disappeared down the hallway, and was back in an instant. She walked over and stood in front of him, handing him the towel. "I don't know how much good it will do, because the minute you go out there again, they're going to nail you."

Will smiled down at her as he toweled his hair a little and wiped his face. She was standing so close, he could detect the scent of something slightly floral, perhaps her shampoo. "Yeah, I know. Next time, you're going with me," he said, staring down into her upturned face.

"Deal," she answered, grinning up at him before going to sit back down.

Turning to the cabinets, he began searching for a large plate to place the skewers on, taking a deep breath as he did so, trying to calm his pulse, which was racing inexplicably.

Elizabeth watched Will as he took his time, trimming a piece of the bacon with a knife, then wrapping it around a scallop before threading the sweet piece of shellfish onto a skewer. He put four or five scallops each onto two skewers, then brushed a little of the butter mixture over them, before setting them onto the plate and turning to the shrimp.

She found herself examining his hands as he peeled and then deveined the shrimp; they were large hands, and were definitely those of someone who hadn't done much manual labor in his lifetime. Still, they were masculine, strong hands, and when she found herself staring at them a little too long, she forced her eyes away, feeling a flush come over her cheeks.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to his face. He was concentrating now on getting the shrimp onto the skewers, and wasn't looking at her. His eyelashes were lowered, and she looked at them with envy. _I doubt that's due to a good mascara_, she thought to herself. His dark hair was cut moderately short, but she could see that it had a little bit of a wave to it, and was very thick, falling across his forehead as he worked.

Her gaze traveled over his face, admiring its strong features, and then dropped to his pleasantly full lips, pursed slightly as he focused on what he was doing. She could see the resemblance, definitely, between father and son, now that she had the chance to really study Will; Jack's face was basically just a smaller, younger version of Will's, the major difference between the two being the color of their eyes.

Conversation had ceased, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable; at least, Elizabeth wasn't uncomfortable, and he didn't appear to be either. She remembered what she had told herself about trying to draw him out a little bit, and she cleared her throat.

"So, you're from New York?" She was worried about asking questions that he might think were too personal or intrusive, so she figured that was a safe one to start a conversation with.

He nodded as he slid the last shrimp onto a skewer. "I am."

"What part?"

"Manhattan."

"It must seem awfully quiet here to you. Portland doesn't exactly compare to New York City."

Will shook his head. "No, it doesn't. Portland is..." He shrugged. "I don't know. It's nice. I like it, more than I like New York."

She tilted her head and looked at him curiously. "Why is that?"

He looked up at her. "It's _because_ it's quiet. I wanted to move somewhere that I could, I don't know, hear myself think. It's hard to do that in New York sometimes."

Elizabeth realized that he was done preparing the food, and everything was ready to grill. She was in no hurry to go back outside, though, so she pretended not to notice. "I grew up in Boston. Well, outside of Boston, in Cambridge."

"Too noisy there too?" he asked, a small grin on his lips.

She nodded slowly. "Too noisy, too...everything."

"This island is like a little haven, isn't it? I can't believe it isn't swarmed with people." He carried the saucepan, the cutting board, and the dirty utensils to the sink, and began washing everything.

"Oh, you'll see, in about a week or two, we'll have a little mini population explosion. But even then, it never gets very crowded." She paused for a moment, staring at his back and his shoulders as the muscles moved under his sweatshirt. Unable to resist, she let her eyes drop lower, and raised an eyebrow when she observed just how well his blue jeans fit his tall form. Clearing her throat a little, she returned her eyes to his back and spoke again. "So, what did you do in New York? For work, I mean."

Will finished rinsing everything and dried his hands on a paper towel as he turned to look at her. He leaned back against the counter, shuffling his feet a little, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I worked for a large marketing firm there."

"You don't work for them anymore?"

"Um, no. I was very decidedly let go."

Elizabeth's eyes grew wide. "You were fired?"

Will chuckled. "Don't look so shocked. It wasn't the first time." Her mouth dropped open now, and Will found himself enjoying the fact that he was surprising her.

"Oh. Well." Elizabeth paused for a second, obviously thinking about what she wanted to ask. "It – it wasn't the first time you've been fired from a job? Or...it wasn't the first time you were fired from that _particular_ job?"

He laughed. "That _particular_ job is the only one I've ever had."

Again, she looked puzzled. "How do you get fired more than once from the same job?"

"It's completely possible, especially if your father is the owner of the company, and can't make up his mind about whether or not he wants you on the payroll."

"Ahhhh," Elizabeth said, "now I understand. I think."

"It's like this: Anytime I do something that upsets him, he fires me. My moving to Maine with Jack upset him, so I was canned. Again."

Elizabeth's eyebrows pinched together. "Well, that's not very fair."

Will shrugged. "That's my father."

"So what are you going to do? For work, I mean. Are you going to look for a job here?"

Will shrugged again. "I'm going to help Charles, for right now. I might even invest in his business." He opened his eyes wide when he realized what he'd said. "Don't repeat that to him, please. I haven't decided yet, so I haven't said anything. Plus, he may not even want an investor, so it's just a thought right now."

"I won't say a word. But what about after that?"

He sighed, a long exhalation of air. "Honestly? I just want to spend the summer playing with my son." He turned to look past his shoulder, out the window that was over the kitchen sink, and saw that Jack was sitting across from Charles on the grass. The two of them were deep in conversation about who knows what, squirt guns lying nearby. "I feel like I missed out on a lot..."

He didn't finish his sentence, realizing he was getting a bit too personal. After a moment, he turned back to her, and saw that she was watching him closely. He felt his face flush in embarrassment, and hoped he hadn't made her uncomfortable. "Sorry."

"For what?" she asked, almost whispering, more curious about him now than she was an hour ago.

He shrugged, not knowing what to say. Instead of answering her question, he avoided it and changed the subject. "So, are you a real librarian?" He pushed off the counter and grabbed the platter from the island. "C'mon, we can go out now, they're taking a break."

Elizabeth rose from the stool, still wondering why he'd felt the need to apologize to her, but willing to let it go. "What do you mean, a _real_ librarian?" she asked, hands on her hips.

He grinned slightly at her defensive posture. "I mean, did you study Library Science and get a degree in it? Or do you just have a job at the library?"

"Yes, I studied LIS at school, I have a bachelor's, and I'm a _real_ librarian." He opened the slider and she walked through it ahead of him, then turned back to him as he closed it.

"So, is that stereotype about librarians true?" he asked, trying to keep his grin in check. He didn't want to push it, but he loved watching the rise in her color. His lips twitched when he watched her hands travel to her hips again.

"What stereotype?" Elizabeth asked, brows furrowed. "That all librarians are high-collared, buttoned-up prudes? We all wear glasses and put our hair in buns, and frown and say _'shhhh'_ constantly?"

This time he couldn't hide his smile. "Well, _obviously_, that's not the stereotype I was referring to."

He waited until she figured it out, then saw her face flush even more. Her mouth dropped open, and at first he panicked, thinking he had overstepped a line – until she started laughing. He chuckled, mostly out of relief, and then truly _did_ panic when the thought crossed his mind that he was flirting with her. At least, he thought he was. He wasn't really sure.

Charles had evidently heard their little bit of conversation, and ambled over while Jack ran around the backyard, aiming at imaginary objects with a squirt gun.

"I believe he's talking about the _sexy_ librarian stereotype," Charles said, wiggling his eyebrows as he walked up onto the deck. "Underneath all those buttoned-up, high-collared blouses are little tigresses, waiting to cut loose and extend their claws." He leaned close to Elizabeth and growled playfully.

She shoved him away and rolled her eyes. "Oh please."

"Let me guess," Charles went on. "It's Mary, she's the tigress, right?"

Charles had met Mary a couple of times, and knew exactly what she was like, and she was as far from a tigress as a person could be.

Elizabeth laughed. "Mary? No, she's more like the other stereotype. Oh, stop, see what you're making me do?" she said, looking at Will. "I'm talking about a co-worker that I love to death, she's a wonderful person."

"You didn't say anything bad, I'm sure she's very nice," Will offered, still feeling a little bewildered as he tried to figure out if he was flirting or not.

"I'm going in to get changed," Charles said. "Get that grill warmed up, will ya?"

Will had the gas grill lit quickly, setting it to a medium temperature. He turned back to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry, I - I hope I wasn't out of line. With the stereotype. Thing. I wasn't – I was just kidding."

Elizabeth smiled gently. "I know you were, it's fine." _He actually means it_, she thought. _He's worried he offended me._ "I've developed a pretty thick skin, so no worries there."

He looked at her thoughtfully, wondering what had made her develop a 'thick skin'. _How could someone like her have a need for one? _That day at the pool came back to him suddenly, when Caroline had started to say something about a 'nasty husband', or something along those lines. He had told Caroline then that everyone has things that linger, and now he _was_ curious; what was that thing for Elizabeth?

She was beginning to feel self-conscious, and wondered if he was aware of how penetrating his dark-eyed gaze could be. One eyebrow rose playfully. "I feel like I'm under a microscope."

Will looked away quickly. "God, I'm sorry, that's a bad habit. I stare."

"Yes, you do."

He felt his skin warming, which didn't help. Thankfully, she didn't seem upset, she was apparently just making an observation. "I was just thinking about...well, nothing, really." He cleared his throat and decided to be bold. "But you're very easy to stare at." His heart pounded in his chest as he said the words, and he was satisfied, oddly, when he saw her blush again._ Yes, I think I'm flirting._

"Oh, um, thank you." Elizabeth was surprised at his remark, but pleasantly so, and felt the warmth as it suffused her face.

"You're welcome," he said. He took a deep breath and reached for the platter of seafood, suddenly feeling a bit awkward. "Well, time to get these on." Glancing around the yard, he saw Jack re-filling one of the squirt guns, and called out to him. "Hey buddy, how wet are you?"

Jack stopped what he was doing and looked down at himself before answering. "Just a little."

"Why don't you give the squirt guns a rest for now, okay?"

"Aw, Dad," Jack whined.

"Just for a little while," Will repeated. "I'd like you to be dry when we sit down to eat."

"Alright," Jack said, obviously unhappy. He walked toward the deck and went to sit down next to Elizabeth.

Will walked over to him and felt his sweatshirt, checking to make sure he wasn't too wet. "I think you're just a little damp, it won't take your shirt long to dry. Your hair is another story," he said, rubbing his son's head playfully.

"What's that green stuff?" Jack asked, pointing to the bowl in the middle of the table.

"It's called guacamole, would you like to try some?" Elizabeth asked. "I made it myself."

He wrinkled his nose. "What's it made with? Broccoli?"

She grinned and shook her head. "It's made with avocados, and it's delicious." She dipped a chip for him. "Want to try it?"

Will laid the scallop skewers on to cook while watching Jack out of the corner of his eye. He could tell his son was debating what to do, and although Will knew he was usually game for trying new foods, the fact that this new food was green was a serious obstacle. Finally, he took the chip from Elizabeth's hand and took a bite.

The look on Jack's face said it all; this was the first and last time he would be eating guacamole. He looked at Will helplessly, his mouth still full of chip and green mush.

"No?" Will asked, trying to refrain from laughing at the grimace on his son's face, and watched as he shook his head brusquely.

"Napkin?" Will offered, and this time he did laugh when Jack started nodding, eyes wide. He held out a napkin, and Jack very quickly took it and immediately expelled the contents of his mouth into it.

As soon as he could, Jack turned to Elizabeth and shuddered. "I don't think I like it."

She smiled and patted his wet hair, then handed him a juice-box, which Jack immediately drank. "Well, at least you tried it, that's what counts. Not everyone likes it."

"Why don't you go in the house and throw that stuff away," Will said, pointing to the napkin and empty juice-box that Jack held in his hands, "and grab the towel that's on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, you can use it to dry your hair a little."

"'Kay." He hopped off the chair and went inside, returning quickly with the towel, Charles right behind him.

"Ahhh, smells good my friend, smells good! Who needs another beer?"

Will looked around. "I think I left mine in the house."

"I'll get it, I have a bottle of wine in there that needs to be opened," Elizabeth offered. She rose and disappeared inside.

"Dad, can I go get my stuff out of the cart?" Jack asked. He had put a few toys into a small backpack before they came over.

"Sure, go ahead." Will opened the grill cover, and finally put the skewers of shrimp on.

"So," Charles said when they were alone.

It seemed to Will that Charles had placed a lot of emphasis on that one word. He closed the grill cover again and turned to look at him. "So...what?"

"You and Lizzy seem to be getting along very well," Charles said, grinning a little.

Will raised his eyebrows. "Does that surprise you?"

Charles shook his head. "No, not at all." He paused for a moment. "You know, you and I have had some bad things happen to us, huh?"

Will nodded, unsure of where this was going. "Yeah, I'd say that's pretty accurate. Other people have had worse things happen, but yeah, you're right."

"Lizzy's had some bad things happen too," Charles said quietly. "She's been through some shit."

Will didn't respond right away, and instead, looked at Charles closely. After a moment, he spoke. "Is there a reason you're telling me this?" He knew that Elizabeth was about to walk back outside, and he wanted to know, _now_, what had happened to her. That day at the pool, he didn't want to know, not at all; now, he wanted to know so badly he could almost taste it.

"I just think you should know that she's had some tough times, that's all," Charles replied, watching Will's reaction carefully. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for until he saw it; a little flicker of interest in Will's eyes that exposed his desire to know more about her.

Will nodded, and understood what Charles was saying, even though he hadn't really said much at all. _Be careful, tread lightly. _"Look, Charles, I just want to be her friend, that's all."

"I didn't say you wanted anything more, did I? Don't look so nervous, just enjoy yourself. Get to know her, and see where it goes."

Elizabeth came out onto the deck, just as Jack was walking back into the yard. She headed straight over to Will and handed him his beer, and as he took it from her hand, their fingers touched. For a moment, he swore he felt something; a warmth, a current, something. Whatever it was, he wanted to keep touching her hand to see if he could feel it again, make it happen again.

"Thank you," he said, looking down at her.

She smiled up at him, her cheeks once again a lovely shade of pink. "You're welcome."

Will turned back to the grill to hide his discomposure, and Charles' words, spoken not two minutes ago, came back to him.

_...just enjoy yourself. Get to know her, and see where it goes._

* * *

Less than an hour later, everyone was relaxing after finishing off the last of the shellfish and guacamole. Jack, while eying the guacamole with distaste, indulged heartily in the scallops and shrimp.

"Bacon, butter and garlic. What more do you need?" Charles said, laughing as he watched Jack grab the last scallop.

Will lifted his empty pint glass. "Beer."

Charles began to rise from the table. "Yes sir, coming right up."

"I'll get it, I need more wine anyway," Elizabeth said, polishing off her first glass.

"No, no, I don't need anyone to wait on me, I'll get it, and I'll pour you a glass of wine," Will said, smiling at Elizabeth as he stood up. He removed the now empty platter from the center of the table and took it and the empty wine glass into the house with him.

He put the platter on the counter, and after pouring the wine, stood quietly for a minute, looking out the window over the sink, watching as Charles and Elizabeth chatted with Jack. His son had just pulled out one of his Transformers from his backpack, and was presently trying to show Charles how it magically changed from a flashy sports car to a menacing robot. Will was relieved to see a look of confusion on Charles' face, undoubtedly the same expression he himself wore when Jack was trying to show him the very same thing.

Sighing, he continued to watch, letting himself take a moment. He felt very relaxed, more relaxed than he'd felt in a long time. Conversation had been light and effortless, even for him, and he appreciated the fact that both Charles and Elizabeth had made an effort to include Jack in whatever it was they talked about, and didn't disregard his contributions to the conversation. Jack was well-versed in talking to adults, as he'd been around more adults than other children in his relatively short life, and was an exceptionally good listener. Will smiled, thinking that in that small way, his son was much like him; his contributions to conversations might be minor, but he was always listening.

Will had enjoyed sitting next to Elizabeth, listening to her talk and enjoying the sound of her voice. Occasionally, their arms would bump, and he soon realized that while he was a 'righty', she was a 'lefty'. Since she was sitting to his right, their arms kept colliding. He didn't mind it, though, not in the least, nor did he mind that floral scent that he had detected earlier occasionally drifting over to him, if she leaned in his direction or moved her hair a certain way. Her hair was beautiful, really; long and thick, a deep shade of brown with strands of a reddish color here or there. At one point, he leaned back in his chair and saw the way it fell haphazardly down her back, all tumbles of curls and waves, and he suddenly found himself wondering what it would feel like in his hands, if it would indeed be as soft as it looked.

He had sat forward quickly, unprepared to let his imagination get the best of him, at least not here. His attraction to Elizabeth was growing, quite steadily; it would do no good to deny it, and really, did he need to? Just because he was willing to acknowledge that he was drawn to her didn't mean he would act on it.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he pulled two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, picked up Elizabeth's wine glass, and headed back outside. It was then that he noticed that Charles had risen from the table and was talking to someone across the backyard, and he soon saw who it was; Caroline was making her way over. Her eyes were on Charles, but soon lit on Will as well, and inwardly, he groaned a little.

"Hello everyone," Caroline said quietly as she made her way over to the deck, smiling pleasantly. "I smelled something delicious, and had to come over to investigate."

Charles raised his eyebrows, knowing what his sister was all about. _She had probably smelled the food an hour ago, when it was actually being cooked, peeked to see who was here, and went about primping herself __before coming over._

Little did Charles know, he was right. Caroline had indeed smelled the food, wafting across Charles' backyard and into her own, and had walked far enough toward his house to enable her to see who he was entertaining, without being seen herself. Once she spotted Will Darcy – and, unfortunately, Elizabeth Bennet – she had changed from her casual clothing into a pair of very expensive, designer-label jeans and a soft blue sweater that brought out the color of her eyes. She carefully fussed over her blonde hair so that it looked perfectly _unfussed _with_,_ and stepped into her brand-new pair of Jimmy Choo flats. By the time she was ready to head over, the delicious smells emanating from Charles' yard had stopped, and she hoped that she wasn't too late to see everyone. Well, everyone meaning Will.

The small group greeted the newcomer as she made herself comfortable at the table. She leaned toward Jack, watching as he played with his Transformer.

"What do you have there, Jack? A robot?"

"Sorta. It's a Transformer named Bumblebee. He's my favorite in the Autobots."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Well, I can see why, he looks very cool."

Charles had gone into the house to get the burgers, and when he came out, he turned the grill back on. "You staying for a burger?" he asked, already knowing her answer.

"Oh sure, I'd love to, if you don't mind. Oh, do you have any turkey burgers? Or veggie burgers?"

Charles looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. "No, I have real beef manly burgers. Pure cow. If you wanted girly food, you should have brought some with you."

Both Elizabeth and Will laughed at this, and Caroline rolled her eyes. "So, how did the three of you end up here for dinner?" She was dying to know how Elizabeth had managed to put herself in the company of her brother and his handsome new friend.

"Oh, um, we were all on the ferry back from Portland this afternoon, so Charles invited us over," Will offered.

"I took Will to look at the site for the pub," Charles added, obviously excited. "I wanted to see what he thought of the place." He threw five burgers on the grill and closed the cover.

"And?" Caroline asked, her eyes shifting to Will.

"I think it's great," Will replied, nodding his head. "Excellent location, good size..." He shrugged. "I think the type of place that Charles wants to open would do well there."

"Oh, that's good to hear, maybe it won't be a waste of our father's money after all," Caroline replied, almost sounding sarcastic.

"Caroline, stop. It's not the time or the place," Charles said, his voice low, all excitement gone from his eyes.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Well, the quality of your beer will bring the beer lovers in, that's for sure. It's going to be a huge success."

Caroline looked at her archly. "And how do you know this, exactly? Do you have your finger on the pulse of Portland?"

Elizabeth shrugged, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, no, but I know that this has been something that Charles has always wanted, and I know him well enough to know that he'll bust his hump to make it successful. There's no way it could be anything but a huge success."

Will smiled at her words. He hadn't known Charles as long as Elizabeth had, but he thought the very same thing. Charles had determination and enthusiasm in spades, and the little bit of assistance that Will had given had enabled Charles to learn that much more about being a business owner.

"Thank you, Lizzy, for that vote of confidence," Charles said, smiling as he walked around the table to where she sat. He lifted her hand and planted a very loud, wet kiss on the back of it, making Jack scrunch his nose and laugh. "It's nice to know I have some friends to back me up." He patted Will on the shoulder and made his way back to the grill.

"You know I support you, Charles, I always do, but this has seemed like wishful thinking for so long, I'm just not sure you know what you're doing."

"He knows perfectly well what he's doing," Will said, speaking up for Charles, "and I agree with Lizzy. Um, Elizabeth." He stumbled over her name, and felt himself blush. "Charles has what it takes to make this place a hit." Will's eyes traveled to Charles, and he sighed inwardly when he saw that his friend was obviously enjoying his little slip with Elizabeth's name, cringing slightly when Charles raised his eyebrows at him. "He'll do just fine."

"What's a pub?" Jack asked, looking at the adults.

"It's a type of restaurant," Will answered. "Mr Bingley is going to open one in Portland."

"Are we gonna eat there?"

"I'm sure we will," Will answered, smiling.

"A pub isn't really an ideal place for a child, though," Caroline said offhandedly.

Charles looked at her and blinked. "Of course it is, it's going to be a family place, certainly. It's not just going to be a _bar_, I want people to come for the food and the atmosphere, as much as for the beer and the handsome owner."

Elizabeth laughed outright, nearly choking on her wine, and Will joined her, while Caroline just rolled her eyes again.

"Do you see why I can't take him seriously?" Caroline asked, exasperated. "These are the answers I get."

"Maybe I'd answer you seriously if you actually _took_ me seriously." The humor had left Charles' voice, and he spoke simply and honestly.

Caroline looked as though she was going to come back with some type of smart retort, but instead, just shook her head. "I'm going to get something to drink, does anyone need anything?" she asked quietly. Everyone answered that they were all set, and so she got up and went into the house.

Charles flipped the burgers and turned back around to face Elizabeth, Will and Jack, who was back to playing with his Transformers. "Sorry about that."

Will held up a hand. "No need to apologize."

"To me either," Elizabeth said quietly. "I didn't realize Caroline was so opposed to this."

Charles sighed. "She – she's not really _opposed_, I don't think that's the right word. She just – she doesn't have a lot of faith in me, and feels like I'm going to blow my inheritance on a pipe dream. I mean, granted, I haven't exactly been, you know, overly motivated for the past few years, but I know what I want to do with my life. I was just waiting for the right opportunities to show themselves, for the right avenues to open up, you know?"

"I know what you mean," Will said. "I've dealt with enough business owners who were starting from scratch to know a success story when it's about to happen. You've got all your ducks in a row, you're definitely ready for this."

Charles smiled. "Thanks Will."

Caroline came back outside, glass of wine in hand. "I helped myself, I hope you don't mind," she said to Charles, holding up the glass.

"Oh, that's Lizzy's wine," he answered.

"Oh, sorry," she said, turning to Elizabeth.

"No, it's fine," Elizabeth answered. "A glass or two is usually it for me. Um, I brought a salad, I'll go pull it out of the refrigerator and get some utensils and plates."

Will looked at her hopefully. "Do you need some help?" _Please say yes, please say yes._

"No, I'm all set, you sit," she replied, and without thinking, laid her hand on his shoulder as she rose. She didn't even realize she had done it until she removed it as she started to move away, and was struck by the warmth of her hand. Slightly mortified, she walked into the house, not looking at the people she was leaving behind on the deck, only because she knew she was blushing. Again.

Will felt the warmth of her hand long after it had left his shoulder, and felt ridiculously buoyant over the intimate, familiar gesture. She was comfortable with him, he could see that now, it was evident in that one small action, and he let himself smile a little.

"Is the burgers almost done?" Jack asked Charles, intruding on Will's thoughts. "I'm hungry."

"Coming right up, Jack-o. Do you want cheese on yours?"

"Yeah!" Jack exclaimed.

"How about, 'yes please'?" Will reminded him.

"Oh yeah, yes please, Mr Bingley," Jack said again.

Elizabeth came back out of the house with her hands full, and Will rose to help her. He looked down at the large bowl of salad as he took it out of her hands and smiled. "Girly food," he said quietly, making her laugh.

After passing out plates, utensils, and rolls, Charles handed out the burgers and everyone sat down to eat. For the most part, conversation flowed, with Charles telling Caroline a bit more about the site for his business. Caroline did feel a little badly that she hadn't been as supportive as she could be of her brother, so with that in mind, she tried to ask thoughtful questions, and could see from Charles' responses that he appreciated the effort. It wasn't too long, though, before her attention shifted to Will.

"So Will, you must really miss New York. I can't think that Portland compares at all," Caroline said, glancing up at Will and smiling warmly, focusing her blue eyes on him.

Will looked at her, then slid Elizabeth a sidelong glance. "Um, it doesn't, no." He left it at that, not feeling the need to repeat to her what he had said to Elizabeth earlier.

"Ugh, I can imagine. Portland is just so dull and uninspired, especially during the winter months. New York must be amazing! The city that never sleeps, right? Oh, it must be so exciting. I don't believe you'll be as entertained living here."

"I think I'll be just fine," Will replied. "From the looks of things, from what I've read, Portland has a lot to offer." He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Elizabeth was nodding. "Plus, there's a lot to do outside of Portland. I can't wait to go camping with Jack."

At this, Jack's ears perked up. "When are we gonna go? I forgot about it."

"When it gets a little warmer, maybe in July or August."

"Oh, you've got to go to Acadia* if you're going camping," Elizabeth said, looking at Will. "It's a beautiful spot, and it's only about three hours north of here. It's just gorgeous."

"Have you been?" Will asked, turning his attention to her.

"Just once, with my friends Charlotte and Kate last summer." She laughed to herself. "It was so much fun, and we really roughed it. Tents, sleeping bags, and a gas stove, that's it. Completely back to nature."

"How did you shower?" Caroline asked, looking mildly horrified.

Elizabeth shrugged. "We didn't. We were only there for a few nights, and we swam, so..." she shrugged again. "It was just us girls, we didn't think too much about that. We're thinking about going back again this year."

"Do I get to skip my bath when we go?" Jack asked, obviously thrilled at the notion.

Will laughed. "It's a good possibility." He looked back to Elizabeth. "I'll have to look into it a little more."

"I have some pamphlets and a map you can borrow," Elizabeth said, smiling cheekily, "but, um, I _will_ need them back."

Will grinned, knowing that she was referring to their quibbling over her map of Portland. "Thanks," he said softly, staring into her eyes, "I'll see that they're returned in one piece."

Caroline, witnessing the little interaction and not very happy over what she was seeing, cleared her throat. "How _is_ Charlotte? And John, of course."

Elizabeth arched a brow in her direction. _As if you really care_. "They're both doing very well, John especially."

Caroline smirked. "Excellent."

"He's actually being made a junior partner at his law firm. New office, bigger income, more prestige...he's doing really, really well. Climbing right up that corporate ladder." Elizabeth enjoyed bragging about John in front of Caroline, it was like getting a dig in. Elizabeth had gotten to know him fairly well, and thought he was very sweet, especially to Charlotte; they were close in age, and were best friends as well as siblings. John had dated Caroline for about nine months, but they split when she began seeing someone else at the same time.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Caroline said, her smirk fading to an obviously false smile, "just wonderful."

Elizabeth nodded. "It is." It was apparent that Caroline hadn't heard the news of John's recent success. Smiling to herself, she looked around the table at the empty plates. "Well, I'll clear the dishes if everyone is finished."

Will watched the interplay between the two women curiously. Was this John at the root of some love triangle? You'd have to be blind not to see the tension between them – or feel it, for that matter. They didn't speak too much to each other, and when they did, it was civil at best. Jack's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm full as a tick," he groaned, rubbing his stomach lightly.

They all laughed, and Will remembered that the phrase was something Mrs Reynolds would say after a particularly good meal.

Charles clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. "Too full for round two, Jack-o?"

"No way, I'm ready." Gone was the feeling of being full; Jack bolted out of his seat and ran straight for the water guns laying on the back lawn, Charles and Will right behind him.

Elizabeth was standing, holding the plates. "The deck is off limits to the water battle! No squirting the ladies!" she called out before walking to the door and going inside.

"Yes, please, no squirting the ladies," Caroline concurred. Her back was to the backyard, so she moved herself to the other side of the table, figuring if she was going to get hit, at least she'd see it coming. Plus, she could ogle Will a little at the same time.

Elizabeth kept herself busy in the kitchen, purposely moving slowly so that she could have time to think, glad for the fact that Caroline didn't offer to help her. She watched through the window as Will, Charles and Jack chased each other around, and smiled as she saw Will pull Jack to the side to whisper in his ear. Not a moment later, they were both ganging up on Charles, and the boyish laughter she could hear coming from the three of them made her chuckle in response.

During dinner, she had become more aware of Will, as far as his physical presence. She'd thought he was very handsome, of that there was no question, and his tall, broad frame was very appealing to her; everything about his physical appearance was undeniably masculine. Thinking on it more, she decided that her raised awareness was due to the fact that they'd had some time earlier to talk privately; she felt like she got a brief peek into who he was. Brief, but telling, just the same. Sitting next to him, accidentally bumping him, and then actually touching him, laying her hand on his shoulder – _what was I thinking when I did that?_ The answer was apparent; she _wasn't_ thinking, she was just _doing_, and oddly, it felt very natural, as if they knew each other well enough already.

And then, he had accidentally called her Lizzy. It was obvious it wasn't done on purpose; he had stumbled over it, trying to correct himself, and it was a good thing he hadn't looked at her then; her cheeks, she was sure, were pink as a grapefruit. The thing was, _that_ seemed natural as well, as if he'd always called her Lizzy; again, as if they knew each other well already.

In a way, they did, she supposed. Both had been through trials and tribulations, both came to Maine to heal and regroup. Could they help each other do that? Could she help him? Her friends had been such a huge support system to her when she moved here; could she be a support for Will?

In thinking this, she found that she really_ wanted_ to be that person for him. She didn't want him to rely on Charles, or God forbid, on Caroline; she wanted him to rely on _her_. She shook her head, thinking that it was completely irrational that she should feel this way. Still, regardless of whether it was rational or not, it was how she felt.

She finished up the dishes, wiped down the counter tops and stove, and dried her hands. After a quick trip to the bathroom, she walked back outside, and was almost immediately caught in the line of fire between Jack and Will, squirting each other from opposite sides of the deck.

Immediately they stopped, and Will began apologizing profusely as he walked up onto the deck. He reached for the towel that was hanging over the back of one of the chairs, the one he and Jack had used, and walked over to her as she stood there, hair and face dripping. Charles, of course, was laughing and congratulating the Darcy men on their 'impeccable aim', and even Caroline was snickering to herself.

"Sorry Miss Bennet," Jack yelled from the lawn, before turning to run after Charles.

"I'm really sorry," Will said again as he handed her the towel.

Elizabeth focused on appearing angry to distract him, but it was just a ploy. Making as if she was going to take the towel from him, she quickly reached for the squirt gun instead. It slipped from his hand easily, and she spun and began to move away from him, squirting him around the chest and head as she stepped down off of the deck. Caught completely off guard, all Will could do was throw up his hands and try to block the water as he laughed.

Charles, seeing that a new target had joined the game, immediately launched an attack on Elizabeth, encouraging Jack to do the same. Will ran off of the deck and grabbed a new weapon, quickly filling it at the outside faucet. Within five minutes, all four were thoroughly soaked and laughing.

When a cease fire was called, Will turned to look at Elizabeth, and immediately appreciated the new view. Her damp shirt clung to her body attractively, accentuating the curves of her breasts. He dragged his eyes away, forcing himself to pay attention to his son, who was now completely drenched.

Caroline called out from the deck. "I can't believe that you three grown adults – and I use the term _grown adults _loosely – are running around getting each other wet. Maybe bathing suits should have been the –."

"Oh, lighten up, Caroline," Charles called out, shooting her with a steady stream of water. He laughed as she sputtered and shrieked, following her movements as she tried to escape the spray. Finally she darted into the house, but it was really too late, her brother had soaked her.

"I don't think Miss Bingley wanted to get wet," Jack said quietly to Will.

"I don't think she did either," Will replied, laughing a little.

"It's okay, Jack, she'll live," Charles said, hearing Jack's remark.

Elizabeth stood there, looking down at herself, realizing that her shirt clung a little too snugly now that it was wet. She loosely crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Will and Charles. "Well, I think this may be the end of the evening for me. It's a little too chilly to sit around in wet clothes."

"Yeah, us too," Will said, glancing at Jack. He was saturated, head to toe.

"Aw, do we have to go Dad? I want to battle some more."

"Maybe another time, I'm sure Mr Bingley would let you use the squirt guns again."

"Actually, Jack, this is what I'll do," Charles said. "You pick out your four favorites, and you can borrow them and take them home. That way, you and your dad can battle anytime you want, and if I'm ever at your house, or if your friend Sam comes over, you'll have enough guns for everyone. Sound good?"

"Yeah! Thanks Mr Bingley!" Jack ran over to the pile of bright plastic and began deciding which ones he wanted to take home. Charles helped him, showing him which ones he thought were the best.

Will approached Elizabeth as she stood on the deck, trying to dry off a little, using the towel that Will had initially offered her before she stole his squirt gun out of his hands.

"Do you want a ride home?" he asked quietly. "We're leaving now too."

"Oh, no, that's okay. Plus, you only have a two-seater, where would I sit?"

Will grinned. "I'll let Jack drive, you can sit on my lap."

She looked up at him quickly, her mouth gaping in surprise, until she saw his wink.

"It didn't work for Charles, but I thought I'd give it a try," he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

Elizabeth laughed, not quite believing what a different man he was from the one she had imagined him to be, just a few short days ago.

"Seriously," he continued, "you can drive, and Jack can sit on my lap, or I can drive and he can sit on your lap. Either way works."

She tilted her head. "Okay."

Caroline came out of the house then, carrying a newly refilled glass of wine. "Does anyone else want anything?"

"No thanks, we're actually going to head out," Will said. "It's getting a little chillier, and we're all soaked. Jack needs a bath." He looked down at himself. "I think I do too."

Elizabeth laughed, forcing away the all-too explicit image that suddenly popped into her mind. _Stop that, _she chided herself.

Caroline frowned comically. "I thought we could all enjoy an after-dinner drink," she said, almost whining. In actuality, she was more than a little ticked off. She'd spent thirty minutes making herself look gorgeous _before_ coming over, then had to repeat the process quickly after her brother had had his little bit of fun. She had only been able to spend about an hour, or slightly more, with Will. _It was all for nothing anyway, he barely even looked at me, let alone spoke to me_, she told herself. He'd spent most of that time talking to Elizabeth, or chasing the little chit around with a damned squirt gun. _That's okay_, _I'll have more opportunities. I just have to make them happen, that's all._

Elizabeth, Jack and Will said their goodbyes, thanking Charles for dinner, and headed to the golf cart.

Suddenly, Jack stopped. "Oh, Dad, I forgot my backpack!"

"Hurry up, go get it," Will answered, as Jack ran to the back of the house. He put the loaned squirt guns into the back storage area of the cart, then turned to look at Elizabeth and held up the key. "Who's driving?"

Elizabeth grinned and swiped it from his hand. "Me. You can have all the pleasure of having your water-logged son sit on _your_ lap."

"Gee, thanks," Will replied, laughing. He cleared his throat. "So, um, do you have a busy work week ahead?"

She shrugged. "Oh, it's not too bad. I have Wednesday off since it's my turn to work Saturday. Although, I have to work at Grace that night, so I don't really have it off completely."

"Is that the restaurant in the old church?" Will asked, remembering that he had read something about an old church being renovated and remodeled, and turned into a contemporary restaurant.

Elizabeth nodded. "It is, it's a beautiful place."

"Hm. I'll have to check it out sometime. Do you work there a lot?"

Before she could answer, Jack came flying around the corner, backpack in tow, and they all climbed in. He turned to look at his father. "You're lettin' Miss Bennet drive?"

Will smiled. "Sure, why not? Climb on up," he said, patting his legs.

Jack climbed in, and Elizabeth maneuvered the cart backwards, down the little driveway, and out into the narrow lane. The ride was mostly silent, with Jack piping up every now and again, commenting on the evening, and mostly the water battle. They all agreed it was a lot of fun, but maybe it would be a better idea to use the squirt guns at the beach or the pool.

Will discreetly watched Elizabeth as she drove, letting his gaze wander at will. He smiled when he looked at her hands, clutching the wheel; they were small and delicate, probably half the size of his, and yet, he distinctly remembered how it had felt when she had placed one upon his shoulder tonight. Just the thought of it made his face feel warm, but he _liked_ it. And that was it, he realized; she was making him _f__eel_ things again.

The physical attraction he felt was one thing entirely, but there were other things as well; he was comfortable with her, comfortable enough to share a little bit about himself, which, for him, was not a small thing. He enjoyed making her laugh (for purely selfish reasons), and he liked the way she'd stood up for Charles, giving him her vote of confidence. The way she interacted with Jack, the way she let loose and literally _played _with them tonight, not caring if her clothes – or herself, for that matter – got wet.

It wasn't just physical attraction, it went beyond that. Everything about her seemed to draw him in, and right now, it felt very good. _She_ made him feel good, and though he had no idea what these feelings would lead to, or whether they would lead to anything at all, he had no desire to fight them. Not at the moment.

They had almost arrived at the Gardiners, and so Elizabeth, completely unaware of what was going through Will's mind at the moment, decided to ask what had suddenly popped into _her_ mind. He had been quiet for most of the ride back, but she'd come to realize he just wasn't much of a talker at times, and that was okay. She pulled into the short driveway in front of Ed and Maddie's home, and turned to look at him. Before she could say what she wanted to, he spoke.

"Where's your house?" he asked, glancing around the Gardiners' yard as they both climbed from the cart. They walked around to the front of it as Jack got himself settled into the passenger's seat.

"Oh, it's um, it's back there. See the footpath?" It was still light out, but her small house was hidden from view at the moment. "It leads back to my ridiculously huge house."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Huge?"

She laughed. "I'm kidding. Actually, it's only slightly bigger than your cart, believe me. I love it though. It's cozy." He smiled at her, but didn't say anything. "So, um, I have Wednesday off, like I said. I was wondering if maybe you and Jack would like to go to the pool? If you're not busy? Or – or to the beach?" Her stomach flipped, and she tried to ignore it.

"Yeah, can we Dad? I wanna go to the beach," Jack chimed in.

Will shrugged, belying the fact that he was ecstatic that she'd asked. "Sure, that sounds fine. Um, I can swing by and pick you up, if you want, if you don't want to walk, if it's – if it's too far to walk. I don't know which beach, or – or where they are, or..." His voice trailed off, and he looked away from her as he smiled self-consciously and shook his head a little. _Relax._ He took a deep breath, and caught that faint floral scent again. Returning his eyes to hers, he saw that they were glinting with amusement.

"Would you like me to pick you up?" he tried again, giving her a crooked grin.

She laughed lightly and smiled up at him. "That would be perfect. How about eleven? Is that too early?"

"No, that's fine, eleven is fine. I'll see you then," Will said, smiling widely in return. _Or maybe even __before that_, he hoped.

Elizabeth's stomach bottomed out as his smile brought forth his dimples, and she felt her face flush as she continued to look up at him. "Great, I'll see you then. Um, both of you," she said, turning to Jack. "Goodnight Jack."

"Bye Miss Bennet, see ya later."

She turned back to Will. "Goodnight Will. Thanks for the ride home."

Will smiled down at her calmly, despite the pounding of his heart. "You're welcome. Goodnight Elizabeth." He watched as she walked down the footpath and disappeared behind the Gardiners' home.

_Wednesday can't come soon enough._

* * *

_So, did we make a little progress? Let me know what you think. Thanks!_


	9. Chapter 8

_Let's get on with it, shall we? Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, I appreciate it! And thanks to my betas, Jan and Mariana, for fixing my mistakes and for keeping me on my toes._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Elizabeth walked into her house, still in a little bit of a pleasant haze from the evening. She'd truly enjoyed herself, especially the time she spent talking with Will, and Jack as well. She always enjoyed Charles' company too; he had the ability to make her laugh at anything, including herself. Oh, and then there was Caroline. Elizabeth had watched the interaction between her and Will curiously, but saw that there was definitely more angling for attention on the part of Caroline. Will didn't seem affected by her presence at all; he was practically indifferent to her.

One thing she was beginning to understand about Will was that he wasn't at all reticent or shy, or even stuck-up as she had erroneously thought when she'd first set eyes on him. No, he wasn't really any of those things; what it all came down to, or at least, what she _thought_ it all came down to, was comfort. He just needed to feel at ease with his surroundings, with the people he was with, before he spoke much. He was an observer, much like her father and even herself, something that she could appreciate and understand. Still, she believed that over the past couple of days, she'd laid a foundation for...well, for _something_. Friendship, she supposed.

Something about that pleased her immensely, more than it should have, really. Even now, she still had a ridiculous grin stuck to her lips, and it didn't seem to be going anywhere. She was already looking forward to Wednesday, and being able to spend more time with him, and with Jack.

Her cell phone interrupted her thoughts as it rang, and she looked at the screen. She saw it was Jane and answered, happy to be hearing from her sister.

"Hey Jane," she said, a smile on her face.

"Ohhhh, I could kill him, Lizzy, I could kill him! That lying, cheating son of a bitch!"

Elizabeth's face fell, and that pleasant haze she had been in evaporated immediately. "Oh no, are you talking about Stuart? What happened?"

"Of _course_ I'm talking about Stuart! He didn't have to go to the hospital last night, Lizzy, it was a total lie. All of it! Being distracted because of work, the talk of a lay-off; not a word of it was true. He confessed _everything_ to me today, said he couldn't take it anymore, didn't want to hurt me or...or _her_ anymore."

"Her who? Who is her?" Elizabeth asked, trying to remain calm.

"His ex-wife! Can you believe it? They've been divorced for six years, Lizzy! Six years! How can you go back to someone after being away from them for six years?"

"I – I don't know," Elizabeth answered, unsure if Jane really wanted an answer or not.

"She's twelve years older than me. What the hell does that say about me? I mean, most men cheat with someone younger," she huffed. "Not Stuart,_ noooo_. He wanted an _older_ woman. What the fuck? Can you imagine? My boyfriend left me for an older, 'I've-already-had-that' woman!"

"Jane, come on, calm down for a minute so we can talk. Is he – is he really getting back together with her?"

"Yes," Jane said, her voice almost at a normal level now. "Yes, they are reuniting. _Re-u-fucking-niting_. He said they ran into each other, they ended up going for coffee...he's been seeing her for two months, and I had no idea. They were married young, and it just didn't work, and now," she sighed, and her voice turned soft, all traces of anger gone, "now they want to make it work. He said he's always loved her, even when she wasn't there, he always thought about her, but was afraid to reach out to her, in case she had married again." She sighed loudly again, then groaned. "He said she was his soul mate."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

"What did you say to him?"

"I wished him the best, and said goodbye. What else could I say? What do you say to a guy that you've been dating, who says he's found his soul mate, and it isn't you? See ya pal, have a nice life."

Elizabeth's brows furrowed. "Soooo, are you upset? I mean, I can tell you're angry, but are you broken-hearted upset? Or just mad that he was cheating?"

"I'm upset that he was cheating on me, of course, but I think I'm even more upset that I didn't figure it out sooner. I'm a little sad, but not – not really. I mean, we had fun, it was nice, but I had a feeling we weren't going to go very far. Especially lately, things just weren't right. Well, at least now I know why."

Elizabeth remembered a bit of their conversation from the previous day. "Oh, you were starting to think something was up. You mentioned it yesterday, when he suddenly had to leave."

"Yeah, that's just it. Why didn't I figure it out sooner?"

"Obviously, he was good at hiding it."

"Too good." Jane paused for a moment. "I wonder if she knows about me."

"You're not going to do something crazy like find her and tell her, are you?"

"Oh, God no, I wouldn't do that. I'm done with him. I just wonder if she knows, if he was honest with her as well." She took a deep breath. "It really doesn't matter now, I guess."

"No, it doesn't. Hey, I know just what you need to forget about Stuart."

"Oh, you do? I can only imagine."

"Come visit me, as soon as you can. We'll go out and have some fun."

"You know what? I think I will. School is out on Thursday, how about if I come on Friday?"

"That's perfect...only, I have to work on Saturday." She thought for a moment. "Maybe I can get Mary to switch weekends with me, I'll talk to her tomorrow. She might if she knows it's because you're coming."

"That would be great. How long can I stay?"

"Well...as long as you want, but I _will_ have to work at some point, that's the only thing. You can go to the pool, though, or take the ferry over to Portland with me and check it out on your own while I'm at the library. You know Kate and Charlotte too, they might have some days off, they'd probably love to hang out."

"I'm not worried about that, I can keep myself busy." She chuckled. "Maybe I'll find a nice young man to take my mind off of Stuart."

Elizabeth laughed. "If you're thinking like that, I'd say your mind was already off of him."

Jane sighed again. "Yeah, I guess it is. I'm fine, I really am. I'm just...I don't know, embarrassed more than anything, I think."

"Well, I'm glad you're not sobbing into the phone."

"Nope, no sobbing."

"Good. I'm glad you called, I was going to call you either tonight or tomorrow night anyway. Guess who showed up after you left last night?"

"Who?"

"George."

"_What? _George_ Wickham? _He came to the house?" The shock in Jane's voice was distinct. "I can't believe it. What did he want?"

Elizabeth proceeded to recount all the details of George's brief visit, and went on to tell her about her conversation with Lydia as well.

"Do you think I should be worried?" Elizabeth asked Jane, "I mean, about Lydia talking to him? She says it's just casual conversation when he stops into Starbucks, but I don't know. I don't trust him, obviously, and I would hate to see Lydia get fooled by him. He can turn on the charm, and the women flock to him when he does."

"Look, you told her what happened with the two of you, so her eyes should be wide open to him. She's a smart girl. Hopefully she'll just ignore him, or leave it at being polite when he comes into the shop, and that's it."

Elizabeth sighed. "I hope so."

Unbidden, thoughts of Will popped into her head then, and she wanted to say something to Jane about him, but what could she say? _I have a new friend?_She chose to remain silent, and thought that maybe when Jane came to visit she would have the opportunity to meet Will, and then maybe the subject of him would come up naturally.

"Well, I'm going to run," Jane said, breaking into Elizabeth's thoughts. "I think I'm going to hit the gym before it closes, I need a good long workout. I'll call you this week, or you call me to let me know what you've worked out with your schedule."

"Okay, sounds good. Keep your chin up, Janey."

"Oh, it's up. I'm fine. Thanks for letting me vent anyway."

"Anytime. Love you sis."

"Love you too, Lizzy. Bye."

Elizabeth's thoughts returned to Will after she hung up. She realized, then, that she wanted to do more than talk about him; she wanted to _gush_ about him. Even thinking about it made her cheeks warm, and she shook her head at her foolishness, but then, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about him more. It was that _awareness_ of him, as she had already come to realize. The way she felt when she watched his hands, or let her eyes travel over his features without him knowing; that sudden lurch in her chest when their arms bumped; the way he made her blush when he smiled at her, or flirted – yes, _flirted_ – with her, because whether he realized it or not, his playful words to her bordered on flirtation; and the way she felt so nervous when she was asking him and Jack to go to the beach with her on Wednesday.

_I like him_, she thought. _Probably more than I ought to, at this point_. She swallowed, and hated the way her stomach fluttered, just at the very thought of actually _liking_ him. The thing was, she didn't think he was completely immune to her; she'd witnessed the way he tripped over his words, and the way he stared at her, how he sometimes looked as though he didn't quite know what to do with himself when he was near her. It was very endearing, really. She only wished she knew what he was thinking about her, about everything.

_Is he thinking of me too?_

* * *

After showers and baths were taken, Will and Jack sat down on the couch to watch a little television before bed.

"Can we watch a movie?" Jack asked, staring up at his father.

Will glanced at his watch. "It's almost eight, are you sure you can stay awake?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I can. Can we watch 'The Lion King' again?"

"Yeah, okay, Simba it is." Will knew by the look in his son's eyes that he'd be lucky if he stayed awake beyond the first thirty minutes of the movie; he had played hard with Sam all day, and then had run around like a mad man in Charles' backyard for well over an hour.

After starting the movie, the two assumed their usual positions; Will stretched out on the couch, Jack stretched out on top of him, using his father's chest as a pillow. Will smiled as he heard Jack humming softly along with the music that played at the start of the movie.

Within twenty minutes Jack was out cold, and Will slowly sat up and hoisted him up higher, so that he could carry him into his room. Jack woke up when Will was laying him in his bed.

"Dad, the movie isn't done yet," he whispered, half asleep.

"Well, I think it's done for you. You can watch it tomorrow night, okay?"

"Mmm, okay. 'Night Dad."

Will leaned down to kiss his forehead. "'Night Jack, love you. Sweet dreams."

"Love you too," Jack said as he rolled over.

Will tucked the sheets around Jack's small body and left the room. He headed downstairs into the kitchen, stopping to take a bottle of water from the refrigerator. As he walked toward the sliding doors that opened onto the deck, he grabbed his cell phone, knowing that he needed to call Georgiana to check in. He settled himself into a chair, staring out into the pitch black night. He knew Casco Bay was out there somewhere, but it was too dark to see a thing.

Taking a deep breath, he let himself dwell on thoughts of Elizabeth just a little bit longer. His mind was full of her, and had been since he dropped her off at home. Even when he'd been watching the movie with Jack, she was there, the image of her smiling face dancing through his thoughts. He was already looking forward to Wednesday, but at this point, it seemed ages away, and he was hoping that maybe they'd run into each other again before that.

With another big sigh, he forcibly pushed the thoughts of the pretty brunette from his head, and pushed the button on his cell phone that would call Georgiana's number. She answered on the third ring.

"Hi Will!"

He smiled, just as he always did when he talked to his sister. "Hey G, what's new?"

"Oh, not a lot. I just got home a few minutes ago, I went to a matinee with some friends, then we went out for dinner."

"What'd you see?" Will asked.

They talked for a while about the movie, her friends, and what her plans were for the summer, and she in turn asked him about her 'favorite nephew' – also her only nephew – the island, the people, and what he'd been doing to keep busy.

Will told her about Charles, and how he'd felt immediately at ease with him, and filled her in about his business venture, as well as a little bit about what had happened to Charles' parents. He mentioned Elizabeth as well, only saying that she also was a friend of Charles, and that he'd had dinner with them tonight, and that Charles' sister had eventually joined them too. His intention was not to focus on Elizabeth too much while he talked; his sister tended to be able to read him like a book, and the last thing he wanted was to provoke questions from her. It seemed to work, as she didn't ask a single one.

Georgiana laughed when Will told her about the squirt gun battle, and was amazed at how relaxed he sounded; he was finally beginning to sound like her brother again, the _old _Fitzwilliam, the one who used to laugh and joke and smile all the time, before disaster had struck.

"You sound happy, Will," she said quietly, when there was a lull in the conversation.

"Well, that's because I am," he replied matter-of-factly. "It's nice here, I really like it. The whole vibe of the place is just so laid back. It's not just the island either, Portland is the same way. It's a great little city, and it's not all hustle and bustle like New York. It has its own pace. Jack seems to really like it, and that's huge for me, Georgie. If he was unhappy, if he didn't like it and missed New York, I'd probably take him back in a heartbeat. But you know what? The truth is, he hasn't mentioned New York at all, not once."

"Wow," Georgiana replied softly, and Will immediately caught the sadness in her voice.

"I don't mean you, Auntie G," he said, smiling a little. "He talks about you, and about Mrs Reynolds, a lot. He's asked quite a few times when you're coming to visit, so I know he misses you. He just doesn't miss the city."

"What about his Grandpa?"

Will shook his head. "He hasn't mentioned him once."

Georgiana sighed. "Has Dad called you? Have you called him?"

"No and no," Will answered.

"God, you Darcy men are ridiculously stubborn, you know that?"

"Do _not_ put me in the same category as our father, Georgie, we are completely different, and you're the last person I should have to say that to."

"In some ways you're just like him, whether you want to admit it or not. Why don't you just call him?"

"For what reason? So he can give me more shit, and make me feel more guilty, about removing the _Darcy heir_ from his proper home?" He felt his ire rising, and struggled to control it. "Screw that, Georgie, I don't need to listen to it all over again."

"He misses Jack, Will, I can see it in his eyes, and I can hear it when he talks about him, about you."

"If he misses _him_, than he can call _him. _Dad is the only grandparent that Jack has ever really known, and I've _never_ told him that he can't speak to his grandson or have a relationship with him. What I won't do is let him control my life, or my son's life. That's exactly what he was trying to do, and that's why I left. He had my mind so tangled up, I had no idea what the hell I was doing. He hasn't called because he knows he was wrong, he knows he fucked up, and if he calls, he'll have to own up to it."

"That's not true," Georgiana replied, feeling herself becoming angry as well, and feeling as though she needed to defend her father. "He hasn't called because – because..." she sighed. "I – I don't know why he hasn't called."

"He doesn't want to admit that he brought all this on himself, Georgie, that's why. If there's one thing I've learned about our father over the years, it's that he's an expert at living in denial. I know it's hard for you to see, but you have a different relationship with him than I've ever had. Hopefully, you'll never know what it's like to make a decision that he doesn't like, or take your life in a direction that he doesn't care for, or God forbid, fall in love with someone that he doesn't approve of. _That's_ when his true colors come out, and _that's_ when he throws around his ultimatums."

Will took a deep breath, trying to calm down. The last thing he wanted was to upset his sister, though he had a feeling it was probably a little too late to worry about that.

"Look, I'm sorry, G. I shouldn't have spouted off like that to you."

"No, Fitzwilliam, it's okay. I just – I hate that things are this way between the two of you. And Richard. Have you talked to him?"

Will swallowed. "Not in a few weeks, at least. He's pissed at me too." He sighed again. "I just don't want to deal with all of that stuff, not right now. Yeah, I'm running away from it, but it's just for now. I just need to get settled, and be _here_, be _present_ for Jack. I couldn't do that there. Richard and I – and Dad too, I suppose – we'll get things straightened out, eventually." _Maybe._ "Right now, I just want to breathe a little, that's all." He heard Georgiana sniffle into the phone, and knew that she must have been crying. Her next words confirmed it, he could hear it in her voice.

"I miss you, Will. I just wish everything was alright _now_," she said softly, her voice hoarse. She sniffled again.

"Please don't get upset, Georgie, okay? I'm sure – I'm sure it won't be like this forever. I miss you too." And he did, tremendously; his sister was the one thing that had made him hesitant about moving to Maine. It had been the two of them for so long, and even after he'd married Anne, they'd stayed so close. Leaving New York, he felt almost as if he was abandoning her.

"When can I come to visit?"

"Whenever you want, as often as you like. You don't need an invitation, my door is always open to you. Just call me and tell me you're on your way."

"How about this Saturday?" she asked, and he could hear now that she was smiling.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I want to come and check out this island."

"I would love it, Georgie, and Jack will flip out, you know he will. Please come." He was grinning now, his previous mood completely altered.

She sighed. "Alright, it's settled. I'll let you know my travel plans after I make them tomorrow."

"Stay as long as you want, okay?"

She laughed. "Watch what you say, I may never leave."

Will chuckled in return. "I wouldn't complain, and neither would your nephew."

"Sure, that's what you say now. Alright, Saturday it is. I'll call you tomorrow night, okay?"

Will grinned. "Okay, I'll talk to you then. Bye Georgie, love you."

"Love you too, Will. Bye."

Will sat on the deck for a little while longer, until the chill of the evening drove him in. His heart still felt as though it was hammering in his chest, and he knew it was due to the conversation about his father. How could he make Georgie understand, or anyone understand for that matter, how he felt around his own father? It was like he was drowning, or like he was being smothered. Suffocated. How could he begin to explain how it had felt to lose control of his own life, and that of his son's? Yes, Jack was the Darcy heir, but always, first and foremost, Jack was his son.

_His _son_._

* * *

Monday passed in a blur for Elizabeth. The library was always busy on Mondays, and she was thankful for it. Charlotte had stopped by, and the two women had gone to a nearby sandwich shop for a quick lunch. Of course, Charlotte had wanted to hear all about Lydia's graduation party, but there really wasn't much to tell, especially since Elizabeth had decided to exclude the part about George's sudden appearance.

Charlotte was the only person in Portland – besides Maddie – who knew every sordid detail about what had happened to Elizabeth when she lived in Boston. She knew everything about Bill; what Elizabeth's marriage to him had been like, what he had done to George – and her – and the fact that he was now in prison. Elizabeth had told her all about George Wickham as well. Kate and Mary only knew that Elizabeth had been married, that it hadn't been pleasant, and that she was now happily divorced. It's not that she didn't trust them enough to confide in them, it was just that she didn't feel the need to tell every single person she knew what was buried in her past.

Charles knew only slightly more than Kate and Mary; there was just something about him that made her feel comfortable, and as they became friends, she shared things with him, just as he shared things with her about the loss of his parents. Granted, he didn't know every last detail about Elizabeth's life, but he did know that she had been married to a very controlling man. It was interesting, Elizabeth thought, to listen to a man's reactions to the things she'd told him about Bill; he was genuinely astonished by the things she had talked about, and could only shake his head.

Smiling, she remembered what Charles' final words to her were, on the subject of her marriage. "Man, he was a real prick, Lizzy. But, not all guys are pricks, remember that. A lot of us are pretty decent." _Spoken in true Charles Bingley fashion._

The thing was, it wasn't that Elizabeth needed to keep George's visit a secret from Charlotte, that wasn't it at all; she just didn't feel like talking about him. She was done with him, over it, and didn't want to waste her breath, to be honest. Besides that, she knew that Charlotte would probably freak out a bit over the whole thing, and that was the last thing Elizabeth wanted to deal with.

"So nothing exciting happened? No one streaked across the stage? No one got hammered and threw up in your father's rose bushes?"

Elizabeth laughed. "No, it was very, very boring. I mean, it was fun, but nothing like that happened."

"Hm. Well, how are your parents? Did your mother drive you nuts?"

"Yes, but she didn't go overboard. I think they're finally beginning to realize that I'm not moving back to Boston."

"Wow! It only took them two years to figure it out."

"Us Bennets are quick, I tell ya," Elizabeth replied, and both women laughed. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, guess who I had the pleasure of dining with last night?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Who?"

"Caroline."

"Ugh, _that_ bitch? You ate with her?"

"Not by choice. She just kind of...showed up."

"Where were you?"

"At Charles' house, having dinner with him and Will, and Will's son."

Charlotte's eyes opened wider. "Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass Will?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, that Will, only he doesn't have a stick up his ass. He's actually very nice, he's just...I don't know. Quiet."

"How did you end up having dinner with them?"

Elizabeth then recounted the story of Will coming to the library on Friday to apologize, leaving out the exact details of the apology – selfishly, she didn't want to share them – and then telling Charlotte how she bumped into him and Charles on the ferry on the way home Sunday.

"I bet you fifty bucks that Caroline will try to sink her claws into him," Charlotte said, referring to Will. "If he's good looking, she'll go for it. Although, does he have money? That would be a huge factor."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Well, he's not working at the moment, that's all I know."

"Oh, he's _unemployed_?" Charlotte asked, stretching out the last word, and sticking her nose in the air playfully. "_That_ won't sit well with Miss Bingley, unless he's independently wealthy." She stared at Elizabeth.

"What are you looking at me for? I have no idea if he's wealthy or not." Briefly, she thought about the house he'd purchased, and how much it had been on the market for. "It doesn't matter. He's a nice guy."

"And he's single."

Elizabeth nodded once. "Yes. Single."

"And he has a little boy?"

Elizabeth smiled. "Yes, Jack, who is absolutely adorable. He's five."

"So, is he divorced? Is there a bitchy ex-wife looming somewhere?"

"No, he's – he's actually a widower."

Charlotte's face fell. "Oh shit, really? Oh, now I feel bad for talking about a bitchy ex-wife. Do you know what happened? Was she sick or something?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I have no idea. If he wants me to know, he'll tell me, I suppose. Charles might know, I guess, but I don't want to ask him." She glared at Charlotte. "Why are you grilling me, anyway?"

Charlotte took a sip of her water, and grinned mischievously. "Because the entire time you've been talking about him, you've been turning pink."

Elizabeth raised her hands to her face, feeling her cheeks. "I have not!"

Charlotte cracked up. "Yes you have! So, when are you going to see this quiet guy again? Oh, by the way, it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for, you know that, right?"

"No, I didn't know that, and I don't need to know that, and I'm going to see him Wednesday," Elizabeth said in a rush of words. "We're going to the beach."

Charlotte's eyes were wide again. "Realllllly. Just the two of you?"

"No, of course not, Jack is coming with us."

This time, Charlotte rolled her eyes. "But no other adult people?"

"You mean, like, chaperones?" Elizabeth flinched when Charlotte slapped her arm. "Hey! No, no other adults, just us."

Charlotte chewed a bite of her panini slowly, and swallowed before speaking again. "So...do you like him?"

Now Elizabeth could _feel_ her face turning pink, and she could tell from the look on Charlotte's face that she had noticed it too. "I do. I mean, not – not like how you mean. He's – he's nice." She shrugged. "Like I said, he doesn't say much, but he does have a good sense of humor, and he has an unbelievable smile, his dimples are amazing..." Her voice trailed off, and she realized too late that she'd said more than she should have.

"So, Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass has now officially become Mr Dimples? Mr _Amazing_ Dimples?" Charlotte laughed when Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at her, then finally became serious. "Really, Lizzy, I'm glad you like him." She shrugged. "You never know what can happen, right?"

* * *

Will boarded the ferry Tuesday morning with Jack, and immediately began scanning the seats for Elizabeth. He remembered as they were boarding that she had been on this same trip last Tuesday, heading to work at the library, and they had bickered over her map. _What a dumb ass I was_, he thought.

He'd decided to go over today to do some shopping, needing groceries for the house as well as for their beach excursion tomorrow, and was going to offer Jack the choice of heading to the Children's Museum again, or maybe hopping in the truck and doing some more sightseeing, further outside of Portland. Also, at some point during their travels, he wanted to stop at either a hardware store or a lumber supply company to find out about getting blueprints for a fort or a tree house.

The ferry seemed to be more crowded than it usually was, but eventually he spotted her, sitting inside at a table today, instead of outside in the sun. She looked every inch the professional librarian, in a light gray skirt and a pale lavender blouse. Her hair was down, and hung around her face as she studied some papers laid out in front of her, obstructing her view of them as they approached.

"Hi Miss Bennet," Jack said as they got closer, and she looked up, startled.

"Oh, hi Jack!" Her eyes moved to Will, and her smile grew. "Hi Will."

Will grinned back, pleased with his stroke of luck. "Good morning."

Elizabeth gestured to the empty seats at the table. "Do you want to join me?" She was surprised to see them, but she really shouldn't have been. A lot of people left the island on Tuesdays to get their shopping done, so that the freight boat could deliver their things back to the island in the afternoon. Will looked as handsome as ever, in a pair of khaki carpenter's shorts and a Portland Sea Dogs* t-shirt.

Will glanced at the papers in front of her, and could clearly see that they were work-related. "You look busy, we don't want to bother you."

She shook her head. "I'd love the excuse to avoid this stuff, believe me. We have meetings on the second Tuesday of every month, and usually Mary and I alternate. This would be her Tuesday, normally, but because she agreed to work this Saturday for me, I got stuck with the meeting."

"Ah, lucky you," Will said, as he sat at the table, Jack hopping into the chair next to him.

"So where are you two off to today?" she asked, smiling at Jack expectantly.

"Um, we're goin' to get food, and then we're goin'..." he looked at Will. "Where are we goin' again?"

"Well, we don't really know where we're going, actually. Maybe the Children's Museum again, though I don't want to ruin that with overkill, you know?" he asked, looking at Elizabeth again. "I thought we would head out to Fort Williams, I thought Jack might like that."

"Oh, I love it out there," Elizabeth said, grinning. "It's in Cape Elizabeth, did you know that?"

Will nodded. "As a matter of fact, I did. Must be a lovely town," he said, returning her smile.

She felt herself blush slightly, and heard him chuckle. "Well, the mansion out there, Goddard Mansion, is basically a ruin, but you can walk around and look inside of it. There are a lot of trails and places to walk, it's actually one of my favorite places to go when I want to get out of Portland and into the woods. Oh, and the lighthouse there is just beautiful, it sits out on a high, rocky bluff...it's even more beautiful in the snow." She glanced out one of the windows of the ferry. "It will probably be crowded today, it's turning out to be pretty nice."

Will watched her as she talked, becoming more and more mesmerized as she went on enthusiastically, describing what was obviously a place that she enjoyed very much. Her attention became focused on Jack when he asked her a question.

"Can we climb up inside the lighthouse?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Elizabeth answered. "There's a museum though, you can look around in there, they have a lot of really cool things."

"You should come with us," Jack said, then turned to look at his father. "Can Miss Bennet come with us?"

Will grinned at Elizabeth, pinning her eyes with his. "Sure, if she wants to play hooky, she's welcome to come along." And he meant it; he would have gladly had her join them for the day. He held her gaze steadily, waiting for her to look away, but she didn't.

"I wish I _could_ play hooky and join you," she said quietly, "I'd like nothing better." After a moment, she turned her eyes back to Jack, feeling a flutter in her chest that reached all the way down to her toes, convinced Will had absolutely no idea of the effect of his gaze. "However, I have a responsibility to my job, so I have to go to work."

"Maybe you can go with us on another day," Jack said.

"Good idea, Jack," Will chimed in, before Elizabeth could answer for herself. She smiled at him but didn't say anything, and he suddenly felt a little self-conscious, and thought that maybe he'd been a little too forward. "I mean, if you want to, we could go there sometime, and check out the place. Again." He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, you mentioned the other day that your sister's graduation went well?"

Elizabeth nodded, and they spent a little bit of time talking about the graduation ceremony, which led to each of them talking a bit about their sisters. She mentioned that Jane was coming to visit at the end of the week, and how much she was looking forward to spending some time with her. He looked as though he was about to say something then, but caught himself. She looked at him curiously, and he shot a sidelong glance at Jack, who was gazing out the window. Whatever he was going to say, he didn't want Jack to hear it.

Elizabeth began asking Will more questions about Charles' business venture, and Will was happy to fill her in on the details that he knew Charles wouldn't mind being discussed. She knew of the site that he was looking at and thought, just as Will and Charles did, that it would be a great location.

"There aren't a lot of casual, fun places in that area," Elizabeth noted. "The two restaurants near that spot are both high-end, so it will be nice to have something that caters more to a low-key, younger crowd."

"I think so too," Will said, nodding. "We walked around that entire part of town, and other than those restaurants, and one sandwich shop and a breakfast place, there really isn't a good pub in a three-block radius. Plus, that large hotel on the corner, not too far down the street...a Marriott I think? They don't have a full restaurant, only a dining room for their breakfast buffet, so he might pull in a lot of business from them as well. The office buildings near there will give him some business too, people will flock to a good pub for lunch." Will watched as Jack rose from the table, bored with their conversation, and walked over to one of the open ferry windows, sticking his face out into the sunshine.

Elizabeth took advantage of his absence. "Were you going to say something to me before, about your sister?"

Will nodded and smiled. "Yeah, she's coming to visit on Saturday," he said quietly, his excitement obvious. "Jack doesn't know, Georgiana wants to surprise him. They're pretty close."

"Oh, that's great," Elizabeth replied, smiling widely. "How long will she be here for?"

Will shrugged. "I have no idea. Probably a few days at least. I think she's really coming to check up on me," he said, turning to look at Jack again.

Elizabeth followed Will's eyes over to Jack. "Sisters are good for that, Jane does it all the time." They were quiet for a moment, until Elizabeth spoke again. "You know, he doesn't have to call me Miss Bennet, unless you really want him to. I don't mind if he calls me by my first name."

Will looked at her steadily. "If you're comfortable with it, that's fine. I've always taught him not to address adults by their first names unless he's been told he can."

"Most of the kids that come to the library call me Miss Lizzy or Miss Elizabeth, but he doesn't even have to do that. Elizabeth or Lizzy is fine."

Will was still studying her. "Charles calls you Lizzy."

She raised a brow at him. "I believe you did too, just the other day."

He felt his skin warm. "Yeah, that was a little slip."

She shrugged. "It's fine, I like it. Most of my friends call me Lizzy." She stared back at him, unable to pull her eyes away from his. They were so dark, it was hard to discern the pupils from the irises.

"Lizzy suits you, I think," he said softly. "I like it too."

* * *

Will was busy Wednesday morning, packing the cooler for their trip to the beach, when his phone rang. Glancing at it, he saw the name 'Robert Darcy' flash across the screen, and he drew back slightly, unsure if he should answer it. After another two rings, he did, only because he had just told Georgie that he would let his father talk to Jack if he wanted to, and thought that maybe it was why he was calling.

Sighing, he picked up the phone. "Hello," he said flatly.

"Hello Fitzwilliam," his father said tentatively. There was a brief, awkward moment of silence. "How are you, son? How's Jack?"

"We're both fine," Will answered, lowering his guard – slightly – when he heard the hesitancy in his father's voice. _Maybe this will be a civil conversation._

"That's good, very good. I'm glad to hear it. You've gotten settled in alright?"

"Mmhm, just fine."

"How does Jack like his new home?"

"He loves it." The subject of their conversation wandered into the kitchen at that moment, and Will turned to walk out onto the deck, shutting the door behind him. "I don't really think he misses New York at all." He walked to the railing and bent over to lean on it with his elbows. "I know I certainly don't."

"I'm sure you don't," his father said, then sighed loudly. "Listen, I didn't call to start an argument with you."

"I hope not."

"I just wanted to tell you that you've proven your point. You – you're your own man, I know that. I see that now. You don't have to go running off into the wild to show me that you are capable of leading your own life, without my influence."

Will's eyes opened wide, but he kept his voice even and calm. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Do you think this is some kind of – some kind of temper tantrum? This isn't something I took five minutes to think about, Dad, contrary to what you might think. It's not me stomping my foot and pouting."

"Well it certainly appears that way."

"I don't care how it _appears,_" Will said flatly. "Unlike you, I could care less about appearances. But you've known that all along, haven't you? And it drives you crazy, doesn't it?"

"Don't try to get a rise out of me, Fitzwilliam, it won't work." His father sighed loudly. "And, as much as I'm _enjoying_ this conversation," he said with quiet sarcasm, "I'd like to end it and talk to my grandson. If I'm allowed, that is."

"I've never told you that you couldn't talk to him, you know that as well as I do. I'm sure he'd like to say hello, hold on a second."

Will walked back into the house, and found Jack sitting on the living room floor in his bathing suit and a t-shirt, playing with his Transformers. "Hey, Jack, Grandpa's on the phone, do you want to say hi?"

Jack stared at his father for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Okay."

Will handed the phone to Jack, and stepped to the back of the room, staying within hearing distance. Of course, he could only hear one side of the conversation, but knew the basics of what they were talking about through Jack's answers: the house, the island, the golf cart, Portland, his school, his new friend Sam, the squirt gun battle at Charles' house... Soon enough, Will's mind wandered and his thoughts traveled to Elizabeth when he saw that it was nearing eleven. Sighing, he realized he was going to be late, and he lamented the fact that he'd never asked for her phone number. His attention snapped back to the conversation taking place on the phone when he heard Jack mention Elizabeth's name.

"Her name is 'Lizabeth, she's really nice." There was a brief pause, then Jack laughed a little and looked at Will with wide eyes. "Uh-uh, no."

It was obvious to Will what his father had just asked Jack, and so he immediately walked over to Jack and held out his hand. "Say goodbye to Grandpa."

"I gotta go, Grampa. Bye." He handed the phone to Will.

"Why don't you get your sandals on so we can leave, okay?" Will said to Jack, "And maybe one last trip to the bathroom before we go."

"Okay," Jack answered, and left the living room.

"I have to go," Will said as he got back on the phone with his father.

"Yes, I heard, you're going to the beach with Elizabeth today. A new friend?"

Will closed his eyes and shook his head. "Yes, Dad, a new _friend._ If you're going to dig for information, at least have the decency to ask me, not Jack."

His father ignored him. "What does she do for a living? Or does she just latch on to rich men?"

Will felt an immediate rush of anger, and bit back the four-letter word that was on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he decided to goad his father. "She's a stripper."

There was no response for a moment, and Will felt a surge of satisfaction, even though he knew it was childish.

"Don't toy with me, son."

"Who said I was toying with you?"

"You would never lower yourself."

Will laughed, he couldn't help it. "According to you, I did just that when I married Anne. Are you so sure I wouldn't do it again?"

His father skillfully avoided the question. "I just want to make sure you're not doing anything that will cause you embarrassment."

"No, what you really mean is that you want to make sure I'm not doing anything that will cause _you_ embarrassment, right? Don't worry, Dad, she's a fine, upstanding librarian. Is that better? And again, she's my friend, nothing more." He gave another short laugh. "I don't even know why I'm bothering to tell you, it's really none of your business who I spend my time with, and how I spend it."

His father's voice was somber. "You've certainly made that clear." He paused for a moment. "Well, enjoy your day at the beach. Oh, and have a nice visit with your sister, I hear she's coming to visit."

It dawned on Will then that Georgie was probably at the root of his father's phone call. "I'm sure we'll have a great time. Jack misses her."

"She misses him too. We all do," his father said quietly.

There was a brief pause, and neither man spoke for a few seconds. It was an uncomfortable, tense silence, and Will decided to end the conversation.

"Well, as I said, I need to run. Goodbye Dad."

He heard his father sigh. "Goodbye Fitzwilliam."

* * *

As Will drove to Elizabeth's house, his mind was completely preoccupied by his father and the conversation they'd had. After he'd gotten off the phone, Jack had begun getting antsy and impatient, wanting to leave, and Will had snapped at him, something he never, ever did, and it had brought tears to his son's eyes, making Will feel like a totally rotten father. And, to top all of it off, it was after eleven, and he had no way of contacting Elizabeth to tell her he was running late, so now he felt like an even bigger ass.

After he'd snapped at Jack, he'd knelt down on the floor in front of him, getting down to his eye level, and had apologized to him profusely, insisting that it wasn't Jack's fault, that he was upset about something else and wrongly took it out on him. Will almost felt like crying himself when Jack wrapped his little arms around his neck and hugged him, telling him, "It's okay, Dad." He was so choked up with emotion, from both the stress of the phone call and the words spoken so easily by his son, that he couldn't even respond. He just hugged Jack tighter to his body, waiting for the emotions to loosen their grip.

Now, as he glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost eleven-twenty, he shook his head. _I should have called Charles and asked for her number_, he thought, a bit too late. He hoped she would understand, once he explained. If he _could_ explain, that is.

He turned into the Gardiners' driveway, and not seeing her there, he parked the cart. "Don't touch a thing, I'll be back in a minute," he told Jack. Following the walkway, as he'd watched Elizabeth do three nights ago, he walked into the Gardiners' backyard and was astonished at the sight of the small yellow cottage tucked toward the back of their property. It truly looked like something out of a fairy tale; flowers surrounded it, and its bright, sunny color lent to its fanciful appearance, as did the small, oddly shaped tower that slightly resembled a miniature lighthouse.

He knocked on the screen door lightly, and was relieved when she answered right away and opened it with a smile on her face. "Good morning," she said brightly, beaming at him.

"Good morning." Will couldn't help but smile in return; her grin was contagious, and he instantly felt some of the morning's stress melt away. He then launched into a full-fledged apology. "I'm sorry I'm late, it was – it was unavoidable. I got tied up on the phone, and then I realized I had no way to get in touch with you, and then I thought I should have called Charles to get your number, but by then I was already on my way here –."

"Will, it's fine," Elizabeth said, reaching out to place her hand on his arm, stopping his rambling. "It's twenty minutes, forget it. Things happen." He breathed an audible sigh of relief, and she looked at him, her expression one of slight surprise. "Did you really think I'd be upset?" she asked, as she turned and locked the door behind her.

Will shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. I hate being late for things, especially important things." He picked up the beach chair and a small cooler that she'd placed on her porch, while she grabbed a brightly colored beach bag and slung it over her shoulder. They headed down the path toward the driveway.

"A day at the beach isn't _that_ important," she said teasingly, eliciting a grin from him as they walked.

"Well, it is to me."

She stopped them in the middle of the path and put her bag down, and turning to look at him, she held out her hand. "Where's your phone?"

Will set her chair and cooler on the ground, and reached into the pocket of his swimsuit for his phone. He handed it to her, and watched as she examined it closely, brows furrowed. After pressing a few buttons, she smiled, and he knew that she'd figured out how to put in a new contact. Finishing her task, she handed it back to him. He scrolled to the 'E's', but found nothing.

"I don't see your name," he said, slightly puzzled.

She grinned, lifted her bag, and started walking again, leaving him to follow her. "It's under 'L', for Lizzy."

Will chuckled and quickly caught up to her. They rounded the corner of the Gardiners' house in time to see the golf cart moving swiftly backwards, down the driveway, a terrified-looking Jack behind the wheel.

"Oh, shit," Will said under his breath, before dropping the chair and cooler and sprinting the short distance to the cart. He was able to stick one leg in and apply the brakes, bringing it to a jarring halt. He turned to look at Jack. "What happened?"

"I – I was just playin' with the wheel, turnin' it and stuff, an' – an' movin' the – the shifter thing, and it started goin' backwards, an' I didn't know how to make it stop." His fear was evident in his voice.

Elizabeth had picked up the chair and the cooler and had almost reached the cart, but was hanging back from it a bit, letting Will talk to Jack in relative privacy.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch anything when I got out?" Will asked calmly, squatting to look him in the eye, but refusing to lose his temper again today.

"Yeah."

"Then why did you touch the shifter? If you had put it in drive and moved forward, you would have driven into the Gardiners' carport, and you could have caused damage and gotten hurt." He spoke firmly but quietly. "When I tell you not to touch something, it means _don't touch it_. Okay?"

"Okay. Sorry."

Will sighed and squeezed Jack's shoulder. "Okay." He glanced up at Elizabeth. "Sorry about that. Ready?" He took her things from her and stored them in the back of the cart.

Elizabeth smiled up at him. "Ready." She turned to look at Jack. "Good morning Jack."

"Hi 'Lizabeth," he answered, slightly subdued. "Are you gonna drive today?"

"Well, I thought your dad should, since he needs to learn the way to the beach. Unless you would rather sit on his lap, instead of mine."

Jack shrugged, still frowning. "I can sit on your lap."

They all climbed in, Jack comfortable on Elizabeth's lap, and headed out onto the lane.

"So where are we going?" Will asked, glancing at Elizabeth. She looked pretty in a pair of white shorts and a short-sleeved pink top, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Unfortunately, he couldn't see her eyes; she had on a pair of large sunglasses that completely obscured them from view. Her arms were loosely draped around Jack, holding him in place.

"Well, I thought we'd go a little out of the way, if you don't mind. Indian Cove Beach is on the northern part of the island. Well, the northwestern part. It's a pretty beach, and there's good protection from the wind. It also has a small picnic area where we can eat."

"Oh, great. I, um, I packed some – some things for us, just some light things." He had been so out of sorts from his phone call with his father, he had nearly left the house without the cooler.

"Well, I packed a few things too, so between the two of us, we should have a feast."

He smiled, and as they drove along, she pointed out a few things to him and Jack, telling them a little bit more about the history of the area. Will had heard most of it from Ed Gardiner already, but was enjoying listening to Elizabeth's voice so much, he didn't mind hearing it all again.

It was a good twenty minutes before they arrived at the beach, and as soon as they parked, Jack leaped off of Elizabeth's lap and began running for the sand.

"Hey, hey, hold on a second, you have some stuff to carry," Will called out to him. Jack stopped abruptly and came running back. "Here's your bucket, your backpack, your towel, and your chair."

Jack juggled everything, and still managed to run to the sand. Elizabeth laughed, watching him go.

"The beach is a novelty," Will said. "He's never been."

Elizabeth raised her brows. "Never?"

"Well, no, that's not true, actually. He went when he was about a year old, but he doesn't remember, I'm sure. We were on Cape Cod," he said, turning to her, a faraway look in his eyes. "Near your stomping grounds, I guess."

Elizabeth nodded. "I spent a lot of time on the Cape when I was younger, we rented a house there every summer for a week. It's a beautiful place, isn't it?"

Will nodded. "It is, from what I can remember. I've only been the one time. Jack has seen pictures of our trip there, but it doesn't compare to actually remembering it, I suppose." He pulled everything else they had brought from the back of the cart, and between the two of them, they managed to carry it all to the beach.

Elizabeth, naturally, was wondering if his memories of that trip to Cape Cod included memories of his deceased wife. He didn't seem uncomfortable or somber as he spoke of them, so she decided not to dwell on it or worry about it, and then Will ended up changing the subject anyway.

"Where should we sit? Do you think we'll be able to find a spot?" he looked around the beach with a concerned look on his face. "It might be tight."

Elizabeth laughed. "Gee, I don't know. How about over there?" she asked, pointing to a spot directly in the center of the sand.

Will nodded and smiled, and they walked to the spot she had pointed out, in the middle of what was actually a completely empty beach. The rocky walls of the cove were dark, almost black, contrasting against the bright blue-green of the water; it was a very picturesque spot. "I can't believe no one is here," he said, gazing at the scenery. "This is a beautiful beach." Jack was already wading in the water, kicking up the spray with his feet.

"I bet the pool is packed," Elizabeth said. "It's still kind of cool for the beach, but even when it's warm, this one doesn't get very crowded, it's kind of out of the way. Most people like to go to Diamond Cove Beach, it's closer to the store and the docks." She shrugged as she looked out at the sea. "I like to see the open ocean and the mainland in the distance, not buildings. I like the scenery here."

Will was watching Elizabeth as she took in everything around her. His gaze traveled down her face to her neck, then to her shoulder, where he could see the strap of her bathing suit peeking out from the wide collar of her shirt. He sighed, and suddenly realized that the past thirty minutes spent with her had completely erased his father from his mind; she was like a balm, taking away his anger and stress as quickly as his father had brought it on.

Without thinking, he reached up and took hold of a strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail and was blowing in the light breeze, and wrapped it around his finger. "I like the scenery here too."

* * *

*Portland Sea Dogs – Minor League Baseball team (Eastern Division) based in Portland, Maine

_Oh, I know I left you hanging a little...part two of the date will be posted next week! Please leave a review! Thanks!_


	10. Chapter 9

_Thought I would surprise you all with an extra, mid-week post. I know a lot of you really want to know how the rest of that day at the beach turned out! Thanks to my betas, Jan and Mariana, for all their expertise. And thanks to all of you for reading along and reviewing! Without further ado..._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Elizabeth turned her head slightly, feeling the tug of her hair, and was shocked to see that Will was twirling a lock of it around his finger. His expression was inscrutable, and it was almost as if he wasn't aware of his actions.

"What – what are you doing?" she asked quietly, over the pounding of her heart. She turned to face him fully, and his eyes latched onto hers.

Will shrugged, but didn't move his hand away. His voice was low and soft, almost a whisper, when he spoke. "I – I don't know." He continued to play with that one lock of hair, just for another moment or two, before releasing it and dropping his hand, shaking his head as he did so. _What _am_ I doing? _"I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry." He pulled his eyes from hers, and let out a ragged sigh.

"No, no, it's – it's okay," Elizabeth said softly. She smiled, almost shyly, and felt her face flush.

His eyes flew to hers again, and a million thoughts went through his mind, seemingly in the space of a heartbeat. He wanted, suddenly, to do more than touch her hair; he wanted to run his fingertips along the curve of her cheek, to see if her skin was as smooth as it looked; he wanted to gently press his mouth to hers, to see if her lips were as soft and lush as they appeared.

Swallowing roughly, he realized that it wasn't just _those_ types of thoughts he was having; they were about so much more than something tactile and physical. He wanted to make her laugh again, just to see her eyes sparkle; he wanted to talk to her, confide in her, _share_ himself with her, and wanted her to do the same with him. Basically, he wanted to know all that there was to know about Elizabeth Bennet, every last detail that she could spare.

The sudden realization of that hit him so hard that he couldn't speak; instead, he pulled his eyes away from hers once again and began to fidget, digging the toes of one foot into the sand, not quite knowing what to do with himself. He focused on his son, running up and down the shoreline, chasing seagulls.

Elizabeth watched as a range of emotions played out on Will's face, and before she realized what she was about, she reached out to lay one of her hands atop one of his, her touch light but sure.

"What's going on in there?" she asked, seeking his eyes out, making him look at her again, which he did, though only for a moment. Outwardly, she was sure she appeared relaxed and at ease, but inwardly, she was anything but.

Will shook his head and lowered his eyes to look at her hand resting on his. He turned his over, palm up, so that he could thread his fingers through hers. "I – I already told you, I don't – I don't know." He felt completely overwhelmed, and didn't know what to do, what to say, but there was no way he was going to release her hand; it felt too good – too _right_ – to be holding it. His grip tightened slightly, and he felt her return the pressure, sending a surge of unexpected but welcome warmth through his body.

Unsure of what, exactly, she should do, Elizabeth smiled up at him, and was relieved when he returned it with a slight smile of his own. "Um, should we sit? We can get the chairs set up, and put the blanket out."

Will nodded and finally forced his eyes away from her, slowly releasing her hand at the same time. "Okay." They did as she suggested, setting their chairs side by side. Will also set up Jack's chair, which had been tossed haphazardly onto the sand, and pulled his son's new beach toys out of his backpack.

After everything was arranged, they both finally sat, and for a moment, just absorbed the sunshine and the scenery. Though neither was aware of it, their thoughts tended toward the same direction; they were both wondering about what had just happened, trying to decipher the meaning of it.

Jack was sprinting back to them, a look of pure joy on his face. "The water's cold!" he called out, eyes wide, before turning to focus on his father. "Are you gonna swim?"

Will grimaced comically. "Can I see how cold it is before I decide?"

"Yeah okay," Jack said, already moving on to something else. "I wanna go make roads for my trucks down near the water, can you help me Dad?"

"Sure, I'll be down in a minute, go ahead and get started without me."

"'Kay," Jack said, already heading down to the water's edge with a small plastic shovel and a couple of trucks.

Will watched him for a moment, smiling as Jack once again chased a seagull away before dropping onto his knees in the sand so that he could begin digging.

While Will watched Jack, Elizabeth watched Will. As she stared at him, he turned from Jack back to her.

"You stare too," he said quietly, smiling a little.

She shrugged. "I'm an observer."

Will chuckled. "Oh, is that what it's called? Observing?" He smiled when she nodded, then cleared his throat. His mind wandered, trying to come up with something he could ask her about herself, something that would tell him more about her, and thankfully, he managed to think of something fairly quickly. "So, tell me, how did you meet Maddie and Ed? You seem to know them well."

Elizabeth nodded. "I do, now. When I moved here, I contacted the real estate agency that Maddie works for, because I needed to find a place to live. She became the agent that I always dealt with, and I guess our friendship grew from there." She smiled. "I think she began to feel a little protective of me...she'd take me to apartments in different parts of the city, and then she'd say, _'Oh, you can't live here, this isn't the right place for you'_, or _'No, no, there's been too many break-ins near here, you can't live here'._" She chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "One day, she dragged me over here on the ferry and showed me the cottage, without telling me it was on her property. I fell in love with it immediately, and when I asked to meet the landlord, I found out it was her. Now, I consider her one of my very best friends."

Will looked puzzled. "Why didn't she just show you the cottage to begin with?"

"I asked her that, and she said that she didn't think I'd be happy living on the island. Once she got to know me a little better, I guess she decided it suited me." She raised her eyebrows at him. "Now, I have a question for you. How is it that you could buy a house without even seeing it? I mean, except in pictures."

Will laughed, watching Jack as he dug in the sand. "They were _reall__y_ good pictures," he said, still smiling. "Seriously, Maddie just sounded so sincere about the condition of the house and how well it had been taken care of; she didn't sound like someone just out to make a buck. Plus, she put me in contact with the Millers, and they told me a great deal about it." He shrugged. "I fell in love with it. The style, the view," he grinned, "and the wine cellar."

"Oh, the wine cellar. It's pretty famous in these parts, though I've never seen it myself. It's kind of legendary."

"Well, you're more than welcome to come over and check it out. Although, right now, it's completely empty, I have yet to buy a single bottle of wine." He sighed dramatically and frowned. "It's kind of pathetic, actually."

She laughed. "Yes, it is. You have to go to Old Port –."

" – Wine and Cigar, I know, Maddie told me all about it. I'll get there at some point, I suppose."

"So, you must really love wine if that cellar was one of the things that got you to buy the house."

"That, and the home office, which," he laughed a little, "I won't be using much, since I don't have a job. I do like wine a lot, although it was my – it was Jack's mom who was the real wine lover."

Elizabeth nodded, not missing the reference to his wife – it was the first time he had ever mentioned her – but decided to keep the conversation moving. "I love wine, but I know absolutely nothing about it. I just know what I like. I'm ashamed to say it, but I usually pick out a bottle based on how attractive the label is."

Will chuckled. "Well, you're not alone, trust me. I found out during a wine tasting once that that's usually how most people pick their wines. If the label is pretty and the price is right, they'll buy it."

Elizabeth grinned. "That's my method, and so far, so good."

"Maybe I'll stop by that store on Friday, after I take Jack to the library, and pick up a few bottles."

"You should do that. A few bottles a week, and before you know it, you'll have a stocked wine cellar. Does your sister drink it?"

"She better not, she's only nineteen. Well, almost twenty now. Still not legal though."

"Is she your only sibling?" She remembered him mentioning Georgiana and her upcoming visit when they were on the ferry, but he hadn't mentioned anyone else.

"She is. There's eleven years between us, but we're close. She was a huge surprise for my parents, especially for my mother, who was told that she couldn't have more children after me."

"Wow, I bet. I suppose it was probably a good surprise though."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was," he answered.

Elizabeth noted the vagueness of his reply, but before she could think too much on it, he was asking her another question.

"So, what made you decide to be a librarian? I have to ask, because you're the only librarian that I know personally."

She squinted her eyes at him. "Are you making fun of my career choice?"

He laughed and held his hands up. "No, not at all."

Elizabeth shook her head skeptically. "No, I think you are," she replied, unable to keep a small grin from her lips. "I think you and Charles were having fun at my expense on Sunday night, talking about stereotypes and the like."

Will smiled broadly. "We were just teasing you, I swear. I think it's great that you're a librarian. It's a very admirable profession, and it must be very...exciting." He started laughing again on the last word, and leaned away from her when she held up a hand as if she was going to swat him. "Seriously, I think it's great. Obviously, you must enjoy books."

"Yes, I do. I love to read, but that wasn't the only reason I chose to go into that _admirable profession_." She rolled her eyes and grinned. "When I was in junior high, I used to love going to the library when I needed to do book reports, or science projects, to find books to read, or to do research. Even when I had access to a computer, I still loved to go to the library to look things up. When I was in high school, I was in the library all the time." She shrugged. "The smell of it, the hushed sounds...I loved it all. Now, I get to help people who need to find information, or want to find that perfect book...and I love when the kids come in from the schools, or when I get to read for story hour; I love it when I can see the joy of reading really take hold in a child." She shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed at her rambling. "It's very rewarding for me."

Will grinned at her, enjoying that she was so enthusiastic about her job. "I can tell. Loving what you do is huge, isn't it? I would hate to be stuck in a job that I couldn't stand, but had to keep for one reason or another."

"Me too."

"So, do you like working at the restaurant just as much?"

She nodded. "I do, actually, as odd as that might sound, and for completely different reasons. I love being social and chatting with the customers that come in, meeting new people, serving them a fabulous meal. Plus, I work with a great group, so that helps. We have a lot of fun while we work."

"Fun is good."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Fun is very good." Tilting her head, she looked at him. "What about you? You said you worked for a large marketing firm that was owned by your father?"

"That's right."

"And he fired you."

"Yup."

Elizabeth's brows came together. "That's too bad."

Will shrugged. "It is and it isn't. It _is_, because I really liked my job. I was looking forward to eventually running the company someday, when the time came. It _isn't,_ because I didn't enjoy having someone trying to control my life."

"Oh." Elizabeth blanched a little at that statement, knowing full well what he meant; how living under someone else's control could take away your identity, your sense of self.

Will noticed that the expression on her face had changed, and that she seemed a little off-balance. He thought that they had probably said enough for the moment, not to mention he had promised to play with Jack. "Well, I'm going to go dig some roads with my kid. Did you say you have to work tonight?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I do." She glanced at her watch. "It's only twelve-thirty now, I don't need to be home for a couple of hours. Go have fun, I'll soak up some sun."

* * *

An hour later, Elizabeth was laying on her stomach on the blanket, using her folded shorts and shirt as a pillow with which to prop herself up, so that she could watch as Will and Jack played in the shallow surf along the water's edge.

Elizabeth had let them play alone for a little while, but then walked down to see this elaborate system of roads they seemed to be devising. She didn't want to intrude on their father-son time, but any worry about that disappeared as Jack pushed a truck into her hands and told her that she was in charge of hauling lumber – or, as it were, a few very small pieces of driftwood.

After playing for half an hour or so, Will and Jack had decided to go for a swim, which was Elizabeth's cue to head back to the chairs, and at that point, she had decided to stretch out on the blanket, the better to discreetly watch them. When Will had pulled off his t-shirt and tossed it onto the sand, it had definitely caught her attention; he was in good shape, and the sight of him in only his swimming trunks had kept her eyes glued to him until he finally dove in and disappeared under the waves.

Pulling her eyes from the water, she glanced at the watch she had strapped to her beach bag and noticed that it was almost two o'clock. If she was going to take the four o'clock ferry over to Portland, she'd need to be home by three to shower. Sighing, she turned her head sideways and closed her eyes, resting her cheek on her makeshift pillow.

Not a moment later, the sound of Jack's laughter and Will's deep voice caused her to lift her head and look for them. They were coming up the beach, Jack riding on top of his father's shoulders, both dripping wet. Elizabeth watched as Will stopped and said something quietly to Jack, which caused Jack to respond with an enthusiastic nod. What Will had whispered became apparent as he and Jack loomed over her, and both began to shake their heads, sending droplets of very cold water down Elizabeth's back and legs. She screeched, taken by surprise, and jumped up from the blanket.

Jack, quite impressed with their little prank, laughed hysterically as his father lifted him up and off of his shoulders, and down to the sand.

"Gotcha 'Lizabeth," Jack said, his grin reaching from ear to ear.

Elizabeth chuckled. "You did, you got me good. How could you swim in that water? It's ice cold."

"Oh, it's not so bad after you're in for a bit. The numbness starts to go away," Will answered, smiling. He grabbed a thick towel and wrapped Jack up in it, then took another for himself.

"Yeah, it's not so bad," Jack added, repeating his father's words. "Dad is teaching me how to swim, an' I can hold my breath under the water now."

"Mmm, I sort of figured that out," Elizabeth said, glancing at his wet hair and smiling at his excitement. "Pretty soon you'll be swimming with the fishes."

"Yup, pretty soon." Jack turned to Will. "Can we eat now? I'm hungry."

Will nodded. "I'm hungry too."

Coolers were opened, and just as Elizabeth had predicted, they had a small feast. She had packed a variety of fresh fruits, along with different cheeses and some crackers, and Will had packed sandwiches, chips, and drinks. They picnicked on the blanket and talked about all different things. Jack wanted to know about the black rocks that lined the cove, and Elizabeth was happy to explain what she knew – which was a very limited amount.

"Those rocks are part of something called the Cushing Formation. It's basically a big pile of rocks that was formed by a volcano a long, long, _long_ time ago. Those rocks are even older than dinosaurs."

"Wow," Jack said quietly, "that's pretty old." He took another bite of his sandwich as he listened.

"It is. All those rocks run under Casco Bay, which is where the water for this beach comes from." She paused for a moment, popping a strawberry into her mouth. "When you were out at the lighthouse yesterday with your dad, did you see all those rocks that the lighthouse sits on?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, it was up on a big cliff. They don't let anyone climb it."

"No, they don't, it's too dangerous. All those rocks are part of the Cushing Formation too."

"Why are they crooked? Are they black because of the volcano?" Jack asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, scientists think they're crooked," she answered, thinking that he was right, they did look crooked, "because a long time ago, after the volcanoes were gone, they got really hot again, and kind of got stretched out and twisted, so it looks like they're all pointing down."

"Oh. Why are they black?" he asked again, his violet eyes focused on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth shrugged. "It's just the colors of all the little rocks that the big rocks are made of, all blended together. I bet if you looked at them closer, you'd see a lot of different colors."

Jack stared at her for a moment, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich. "You're smart 'cause you work at the library, huh?"

Elizabeth and Will both laughed. "I'm sure that's it," Elizabeth replied. "I've learned a lot working there."

Jack turned to his father. "Can I go see if I can find some black rocks near the water?"

Will nodded. "Sure, just don't go too far, stay where I can see you. And don't go in the water past your knees."

"'Kay." Jack hopped up from the blanket, grabbed his bucket and headed down toward the surf.

Will had watched the interaction between Elizabeth and Jack silently, content to let his son do the talking. He was pleasantly surprised that Elizabeth was so knowledgeable about the history of the land, and supposed that some of it did come with the territory of being the local librarian.

"That was pretty interesting, what you just told him," he said, before eating a grape. "I had no idea about the rocks."

"Well, I didn't either, until I kept getting asked about them at work. I did a little research. There's more to the story of the formation, of course, but that was my standard answer for a five-year-old."

Will grinned. "Yeah, I suppose you have to base your answer on the age and attention span of the person asking, right?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Exactly. He listens well, though."

"He always has. I suppose he's used to being around adults a lot."

They both watched as Jack wandered down the beach, occasionally picking up a rock or a shell and looking it over, before either dropping it into his bucket or letting it fall back into the sand. Will's thoughts were miles from his son, though; they were on the woman sitting next to him on the blanket.

She wore the same bathing suit that she had that day at the pool, and despite the fact that it wasn't a bikini that bared a lot of skin, she looked very becoming in it. The navy-blue color suited her, and just as he had thought last week, it did very little to hide her curves. He watched as her lips turned up at the corners.

"You're staring again," she said quietly, her eyes still focused on Jack.

Will shrugged, knowing she could see him out of the corner of her eye. "I've said it before, you're easy to stare at." He was pleased to see her face pink up slightly, and before he could over-think his actions, he reached to gently take her hand in his, and rested their entwined fingers on the blanket between them. "Can I tell you something?"

Elizabeth turned to look at him, and felt her face become even warmer, having no idea what it was he would say, but wanting to hear it just the same. "Sure." Her calm, even tone belied the nervousness that had sprung up in her belly.

Will cleared his throat. "Charles told me that you've been through some things," he paused when he saw her eyes widen, and rushed to reassure her, "but he – he didn't tell me anymore than that, honestly. And I'm sure you know at least a little bit about some things that have happened to me, and to Jack."

Elizabeth nodded, completely unsure of where this conversation was headed.

"It's kind of...odd, but I realized that when I'm around you, I forget all about that stuff, even if it's only for a little while." He turned away from her, watching Jack as he slowly strolled down the beach. "Like this morning, I was late picking you up because I was on the phone with my father. You've probably figured out from what I've said about him that we don't see eye to eye, we haven't in a long time, and today was no different. I was angry when I got off the phone, then to make it worse I snapped at Jack, _and _I was running late. But then, we came here, and you and I have been talking, enjoying the day with Jack, and all of that just...faded away. It totally disappeared, and at this point, I'm almost completely convinced that the entire conversation with my father must have been a figment of my imagination."

Elizabeth didn't respond, not because she was averse to what she was hearing, but because she didn't know what to say. Not to mention that every nerve ending in the hand that he was holding had come alive in a rush of tingling and warmth; the sensation was disconcerting, and had completely overridden her ability to speak.

Will turned back to look at her, and noticed that she looked a little flustered, so he kept talking. "I feel very comfortable around you, is what I'm saying. Or – or trying to say. I feel like I can...I don't know, let my guard down with you, I guess. Like I've known you for longer than I have. Does that make any sense, or do I sound like an idiot?"

"No, you don't sound like an idiot," she said, finding her voice, squeezing his hand a little. Thankfully, her nerves had calmed to a dull tremble, and now, it felt almost natural to be holding his hand. "It's a nice thing to say, thank you." Her face flushed again, and she arched one eyebrow. "I'm comfortable with you too...now that you actually talk to me, instead of all that nodding and frowning."

She laughed as Will groaned and fell back onto the blanket, using his free hand to cover his face. "I can't apologize enough for that. I swear, I read all those books I checked out from the library, I've learned my lessons." He sat back up, smiling widely at her. "I really was an ass, wasn't I?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "You weren't so bad." She couldn't take her eyes from his face, made even more handsome by the emergence of those elusive dimples.

His eyes widened. "Oh, you're being _very_ polite. I was bad."

She chuckled. "Yeah, you're right, you were. You just glared at me," _with those incredible eyes_, she thought, "and I couldn't figure out for the life of me what I had done to antagonize you."

"You didn't do anything, it was all me." He sighed, and looked into her eyes. "See, that's the thing...you were everything polite and kind, and I think that even then, I knew there was something about you...I just – I didn't know how to deal with it."

Elizabeth couldn't pull her gaze away from his dark eyes, and felt her nerves kick into high gear again under the intensity of his stare. "So...now you do?"

Grinning, he shook his head, still looking at her, and spoke quietly. "Not really. I've just decided to quit trying to figure it out."

Jack ran up to them again, effectively ending their conversation, and after giving their clasped hands nothing more than a cursory glance, he dropped down onto the blanket to show them the loot he had collected from the beach. Reluctantly, Will released Elizabeth's hand so he could hold the things that Jack was pulling out of the bucket to show him.

Elizabeth looked on, occasionally adding a comment or two, if she knew something about a piece of rock or a particular shell that Jack was holding in his small hand. She glanced at her watch, and saw that unfortunately, it was nearing three. _Yes, it's very unfortunate._ She had enjoyed herself today, immensely. Will's words ran through her mind again, and she knew herself well enough to know that he'd stirred up feelings in her that she hadn't felt in a long time, if ever. Refusing to put too much thought into it, she decided to approach this blossoming relationship between them in the same way that he did; she would let it puzzle itself out, instead of trying to analyze it from every angle. _It is what it is._

Will was sorry to see the day coming to an end as well, but he knew they had to start packing up. After thoroughly checking out everything in Jack's bucket, he sent him back down to the water to pick up the rest of his trucks and the shovel he had used to dig. He rose from the blanket, and offered a hand to Elizabeth as she stood. His hand lingered on hers for a minute before he slowly released it, but not before squeezing it gently. They began packing things up, putting away drinks, and folding up the chairs and the blanket. When everything was all set, he turned to look at her again. "So, um, what's your schedule like for the rest of the week?"

"Oh, well, I work tomorrow and Friday, and then Jane comes on Friday afternoon. I was able to switch my schedule around so that I could have Saturday off from the library, and I think one of my co-workers is going to take my shift at Grace that night. I want to have a little time off while Jane is here. How about you?"

Will shrugged. "I think we'll just hang around here tomorrow, maybe I'll see if Jack wants to have Sam over to our place, it's time for us to play host I guess. Um, Friday we'll be in Portland, so I told Jack we could stop in for story hour again at the library." He smiled when he saw her face light up.

"Oh, that's right, I did tell Jack I'd try to read again, so hopefully I can squeeze it in. Although, according to him, you're more than qualified to take my place."

Will chuckled. "No, no, I'll leave it to the professionals, thanks."

"When is your sister arriving?" Elizabeth asked, remembering Georgiana's visit.

"She's flying in on Saturday." He watched as his son slowly walked back toward them. "Jack is going to be so excited to see her."

Elizabeth looked at the smile on his face. "I think Jack is not the only one."

He laughed. "No, he isn't, I'll be happy to see her too." An idea sprang into his mind. "Maybe I'll have a cookout, or something...maybe on Sunday. You – you could come over with Jane, and maybe I'll get Maddie and Ed over, and Charles...and Caroline. If – if you and Jane don't make plans, that is."

She smiled. "Well, that sounds like a plan we should make, it would be fun."

Will felt a quick surge of excitement, knowing that he would be seeing her again on Sunday, at his house no less. "Okay. Great. I'll, um, I'll give Charles a call, maybe he can let Caroline know...and maybe you can mention it to Maddie and Ed? I'll call them too, but maybe you can just give them a heads up."

"Sure, I can do that."

"I'm ready Dad, I have all my stuff," Jack said, interrupting them. "Can I take the shells and rocks home?"

Will smiled down at him. "Sure, we can put them out on the deck."

"'Kay."

They gathered up their belongings and slowly made their way to the cart. No one said much on the way home, and in fact, Jack looked ready to doze off on Elizabeth's lap. He was leaning back against her, his head tucked comfortably under her chin, his eyelids drooping low. The sight made Will's heart lurch unexpectedly.

They arrived at the Gardiners' house, and Elizabeth lifted Jack from her lap so she could climb out. Will parked the cart, reminding Jack not to touch anything, and grabbed Elizabeth's cooler and chair, while she carried the beach bag again. He walked her to her door, and after he set the chair and cooler down, he rubbed his hands together, removing the loose grains of sand from them.

"Well," he said, staring down at her, "thanks for a great day." His voice was quiet, but he wore a small grin.

She smiled back. "Thank you, I enjoyed it too. Too bad I have to go to work, we could have stayed down there all day."

Will's smile grew slightly. "Another time?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Definitely."

"Okay, well. I guess I'll see you soon," he said, suddenly feeling awkward and..._nervous?_

"Mmhm, soon. Probably Friday, right?"

"Oh, yeah, Friday. At the library."

Elizabeth could see that he was out of sorts, and spontaneously, she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. His skin was warm and smelled like sunscreen and salt water, and even during that brief contact, she could feel the whiskers that were beginning to grow since his morning shave. Her heart pounded as she lowered herself to the ground. "Bye Will, thanks again."

His eyes bored into hers, and he swallowed roughly before taking her hand and squeezing it lightly. "Bye Lizzy." He smiled broadly, and turned to walk down the path, back to his son.

* * *

Jack was basically a pile of mush when they got home, so Will let him sprawl on the couch in his bathing suit and sleep for an hour. While he was sleeping, Will took a quick shower, and then when Jack woke, it was straight to the tub for him.

Will was perfectly happy to make Jack's request for dinner: breakfast. They did it occasionally, and this time, Jack picked pancakes.

"Can we have chocolate chips in 'em?" Jack asked as he stirred the batter.

"Um, I don't think we have any."

"Darn."

"Sorry pal. Oh, wait," Will said, opening the refrigerator. "We have some chocolate syrup, what do you think?"

"Yeah! That will work good."

Will was doubtful just how good it would be, but went along with it anyway. He poured the batter into perfect circular shapes on the griddle, and then handed the syrup over to Jack, who proceeded to make smiley faces and squiggles in all of them.

"See? It works good," Jack said, smiling at his handiwork. He helped flip the pancakes, Will's larger hand clasped over his smaller one on the handle of the spatula.

"Perfect," Will said when they were done. He grabbed plates and served up the pancakes, then took the maple syrup from the cabinet. They proceeded outside to the deck, and after Will went back in to pour them each a glass of milk, they settled down to eat.

"Dad, these are _awesome_," Jack said, his mouth ringed with chocolate. "We should have pancakes with chocolate syrup in 'em all the time."

Will bit back a laugh as he handed his son a napkin. "Once in a while is alright, I think."

After dinner was finished and the kitchen cleaned up, they headed up to Jack's room to play with his Matchbox cars. Will had bought him a big rug that resembled the layout of a city; it had roads, and all kinds of buildings, and Jack loved it. Truthfully, Will did too; he had collected a lot of the Matchbox cars, and Hot Wheels as well, when he was younger, and when he hunkered down on the floor with Jack to play, it was as if he regressed back to kindergarten himself.

Soon enough, it was evident that Jack was pretty tired, even though it was only just after seven; he was yawning every five minutes, which in turn was making Will yawn.

"What do you say, buddy, ready for bed?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I'm kinda tired. Can I leave all the cars set up like this?"

"That's fine, just be careful when you get up in the morning, they hurt if you step on them with bare feet." Will had learned that lesson the hard way.

"'Kay. I'm gonna go brush."

In a matter of minutes he was back, and Will got him tucked into bed.

"Are you mad at me?" Jack asked quietly, staring up at his father.

For a moment, Will was puzzled by the question, until he remembered the incident with the golf cart earlier in the day. "No, I'm not," Will replied gently, seating himself on the edge of the bed. "I was when I first saw what happened, though. And you know why, right?"

"Yeah," Jack whispered, nodding slightly. "'Cause I touched the shifter thingy."

"Well, yes, but mainly because you didn't listen to me when I told you not to touch anything. I know it's just a cart, it doesn't go very fast, but you still could have been hurt, Jack."

Jack looked down at his blanket and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, an action that was reminiscent of what Anne used to do when she was concentrating, deep in thought. The memory made Will smile. "Your mom used to do that, you know."

Jack's eyes rose back to his. "Do what?"

Will reached out and lightly tapped Jack's lower lip with his finger. "Bite her lip, when she was thinking about something. So what are you thinking about?"

"Are we gonna go to the library on Friday?"

"Yeah, of course we are. Don't you want to?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I just thought maybe 'cause I got in trouble, you might say no."

Will sighed. "Do you promise not to touch anything in the cart again?"

Jack nodded, staring at Will seriously. "I promise."

"Alright, then, case closed. We'll go to the library on Friday, like we planned, okay?"

A smile brightened Jack's face. "Okay."

Will leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Sweet dreams, buddy. Love you."

"Love you too, dad. 'Night."

"Good night." Will rose from the bed and turned off the light on the way out.

As he made his way downstairs, his thoughts were full of Elizabeth and the day that they had spent together. He knew that if she hadn't needed to leave to get ready for work, they probably would have stayed down there, possibly through dinner. It was as if they were in their own little world, just the three of them. It felt nice, and the thought of it sent a pleasant little hum circulating through Will's body.

He heard his cell phone ringing as he walked into the living room, and picked it up when he saw that it was Charles.

"Hey Charles."

"Will! I just wanted to call and give you the good news. I'm officially a business owner!"

Will grinned. "Congratulations, that's great!"

"Thanks, thanks. I couldn't have done it without you, you were a huge help. And Maddie too." He sighed loudly. "I can't believe I actually _own_ that place now. I can't wait to get in there to start tearing it apart – did you see the booths when we were there? All those tacky colors? Man, I'm going to love ripping it all up."

Will chuckled. "Before you go crazy, see if there's anything that's salvageable, you never know. "

"Yeah, I know, I will. I had big dreams of going in there with an ax and just demolishing the place...although, the bar is okay."

"It is –."

"But I don't want to keep it, I want to build a huge mahogany bar. That's what I've always envisioned, anyway."

Will nodded. "I could see that. It would change the look of the place completely if you went with dark wood. You could make it look upscale, without it really _being_ upscale, you know what I mean?"

"I do, definitely. I want it to be classy, but not...I don't know, cold. I want it to be welcoming. And I need to think of a name! I have a bunch of ideas written down, I just have to narrow it to one. Hey, what are you doing right now?"

"Um, right now? Talking to you. Sitting on my couch."

"Where's Jack?"

"He's sound asleep already, we spent a few hours at the beach today and it wiped him out."

"I'm on the ferry headed back to the island, can I stop by for a celebratory beer?"

"Absolutely, I think I have a few stashed away."

Charles chuckled. "No, I'll stop and get some good stuff from my house. I'll be there in less than an hour."

They hung up, and true to his word, Charles was there in forty-five minutes, toting a six-pack of his home-brewed blonde ale. Will shook his hand enthusiastically, genuinely thrilled at Charles' success.

After cracking two beers and slowly pouring them into large glasses, Will slapped Charles on the back as they stood for a moment in the kitchen. "Why do I get the feeling you've been celebrating a little already?"

A crooked grin grew on Charles' face, and he laughed. "I don't know, why do you get that feeling?"

"Well, unless you've started wearing perfume or something..."

Charles had the decency to blush a little, and his smile grew wider. "I just went to pay a visit to an old friend after I left the bank, that's all."

"Does this old friend have a name?"

Charles took a long sip of his beer, prolonging the silence. "Yup." He grinned cheekily at Will.

"And you're not going to tell me? It's not like I'll know who she is."

Charles shrugged. "She's an ex-girlfriend, her name is Kate. She's one of Lizzy's best friends."

Will's interest was piqued. "She doesn't sound like an 'ex' to me."

"Well, she is, but sometimes, you know, we hook up. Not all the time, but...once in a while."

"Friends with benefits, isn't that what it's called?" Will asked curiously, having heard the phrase before. Despite the fact that he had only been with one woman in his thirty years, he wasn't naïve or ignorant of how things worked in the singles world; he only knew that he didn't want to be a part of it, at least not _that_ part of it. In that respect, he was fairly old-fashioned when it came to dating.

Charles laughed. "Yeah, that's it, she's a friend with benefits. I mean, I really like her, she's smart, and funny, and _unbelievably_ gorgeous. She looks like a typical Irish lass, with that beautiful pale skin, and freckles...well, freckles _everywhere_, and that deep red hair, and green eyes that are just..." His voice trailed off, and finally he sighed and shrugged again. "She wanted the whole commitment thing, wanted us to move in together, and I just...I don't know. I guess I chickened out."

"Chickened out?" Will asked, eyebrows raised.

Charles crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah. It was getting too serious, too fast. I mean, we had only been together for about five months, so when she started talking about shacking up, it freaked me out." He paused for a second. "I guess it doesn't make much sense to you, considering you married your high school sweetheart."

Will shrugged. "Yeah, Anne and I were together for a lot longer than five months." His brows came together and he looked puzzled. "But...when you wanted to celebrate today, you purposely went and found Kate, right?"

Charles groaned dramatically, then glared at Will. "Yeah, I did. Please don't psycho-analyze me or pull a Dr. Phil or something."

Will chuckled as they moved outside to the deck, seating themselves at the table, the only light coming from inside the kitchen. "I'm not analyzing, believe me. I'm just making an observation," he said, then cleared his throat and smiled, thinking of Elizabeth. "I'm an observer."

"Yeah, you are an _observer_," Charles said, emphasizing the word, and happy to turn the topic of conversation to Will. "You know how I know this? It's because I watched you _observe_ Lizzy's ass when we were getting on the ferry on Sunday, remember? And then you _observed _her during dinner at my house, and then you really _ob__served_ her when her shirt was wet and plastered to her body after our little squirt gun fight."

Will felt his face flush, and took a sip of his beer to hide it.

"As a matter of fact," Charles went on, "you drove her home, and you never said anything to me about it."

"There was nothing to say," Will answered, shrugging. "I just drove her home and dropped her off, that was it."

Charles squinted at him. "Hmm."

"Oh, by the way," Will said, happy to change the subject, "I think I'm going to have a cookout or something on Sunday, if you're interested in coming by. My sister is flying in on Saturday, so I thought I'd have a few people over."

Charles nodded. "Cool. I'll be there."

"Good. Oh, um, Caroline is welcome to come too. I can give her a call –."

"Oh, no, don't do that," Charles said quickly. "You don't want to call her. I'll let her know about it if you want, but if you call her..." He paused and sighed. "Look, she already has all kinds of thoughts in her head about you, and if you personally invite her to this little shindig on Sunday, her head will swell to tremendous proportions."

Will's eyebrows flew up. "What do you mean she has thoughts in her head about me? What kind of thoughts?"

Charles looked at him as if he was an idiot. "She's a single woman, and you're – you're a single guy."

Will noticed that Charles had hesitated slightly when he said those last words. "Yeah, I am," he said, his voice soft. "It's funny, though...I've never thought of myself that way. I mean, I know I'm not married anymore, but..." He shrugged. "I don't know, it just sounds weird."

Charles looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sure it does. Anyway, not to be crass, but...Caroline doesn't care one bit about why you're single, she just cares that you _are_ single. I love my sister, she's great, but as a girlfriend? I wouldn't recommend her."

Will laughed. "Thanks for the tip."

"Lizzy, on the other hand..." Charles grinned. "I _would _recommend _her_."

"Based on...what again? Didn't she shoot you down?" Will teased.

"She did, flat out. But she's a great girl, and she's not so...what's the word I'm looking for..."

"Mercenary?"

Charles snapped his fingers and pointed a finger at Will. "Yeah, mercenary. That's it. She's just a genuine, down-to-earth, sweet person."

Will reached up to scratch his head, then dragged his hand down over his face. "We spent the day at the beach today."

Charles' eyes opened wider. "Who is we?"

"Jack and Lizzy and me," he said succinctly.

Charles grinned. "You just called her Lizzy."

Will rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I like it, I think it suits her."

"Yeah, it does. So, how the hell did this come about?" Charles asked, all curiosity now, leaning forward, waiting to hear the story.

"She asked if we wanted to go with her, and I said yes." He shrugged. "Simple as that."

"So?"

Will was confused. "So what?"

"So what happened? Did you rub lotion on her back?" Charles asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"No, I didn't _rub lotion on her back_. We just...hung out. We're just – we're just friends."

"When's your next date?"

"It wasn't a date," Will replied adamantly.

Charles grinned at his friend's discomfort. "Okay. So, when are you gonna _ask_ her out on a date?"

"I don't – I'm not – she isn't – we're not –." Will stopped trying to form a complete sentence, embarrassed that he was tripping over his words, and let out a long exhalation of air. "We're just friends," he said again, his voice quiet.

Charles could see that he had teased and pushed enough, and immediately backed off. "Well, you couldn't be friends with a nicer person." Smiling, he reached across the table and cuffed Will's shoulder. "Except me, of course."

* * *

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open comically as she looked at Kate. "Again? This is getting to be a habit, don't you think?"

Kate glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard by any of their other co-workers. The restaurant was due to open in about fifteen minutes, although they wouldn't see people start to come through the doors for another hour or so.

"It's only happened a few times," Kate said. "And why shouldn't I? It's not like we hate each other, we're still friends."

"With benefits."

"Yeah, exactly." Kate shrugged. "At least I know him, I know his history, I'm comfortable with him. And honestly Lizzy? The man is a sex machine."

Elizabeth closed her eyes tightly and shook her head, trying to blot that image of Charles from her mind, and trying not to laugh at the same time. "Ugh, Kate, TMI! I don't want to hear about it."

"I know, but..." She sighed. "He's amazing, and even though we're not a couple anymore, he still makes me feel...I don't know, special. It's not just _wham, bam, thank you ma'am_. He stays, for a little while anyway, we talk, we laugh, we have fun...it's like we're still together."

Elizabeth looked at her friend closely. "Are you still in love with him?" she asked quietly.

Kate sighed. "I don't know. Maybe. I still don't understand what happened with us. I mean, I know what he told me, but I just – I don't see it. We were good together. We_ are _good together. He's skittish I guess, and maybe he still feels like he has to sow his oats, but really, he's thirty-one, you'd think he'd be ready to settle down a little." Her lips twisted into a frown. "And maybe he is ready, and it's just that I'm not the one he wants to settle down with."

Elizabeth saw the look of sadness on her friend's face, and didn't know what to say to help her. "Well, he wanted to share his good news with you, didn't he?"

"He also wanted to get laid."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I think there's more to it than that. He wanted to tell someone about it, and he picked you. You didn't have to sleep with him."

"No, I know...it just kind of happened." Her wet eyes scanned the restaurant, avoiding Elizabeth's. "So, anyway, he's really excited about the pub, and getting started on everything." She laughed. "He wants me – and you – to come and work for him. He said he's determined to steal us away from this place." Again, she glanced around. "I told him no way. Oh, who is Will?"

The question caught Elizabeth off-guard. "Will?"

"Yeah, the guy that helped Charles? He told me that you knew him too. He told me he'd get Will to talk you into leaving Grace."

Elizabeth shrugged and shook her head. "He's just a guy – a friend – he moved to the island not too long ago. Um, yes, he did help Charles. He used to work for a marketing company in New York, before he moved here, so I suppose he knows a lot about...um, marketing. So, yeah. That's who Will is."

Kate's gaze never left Elizabeth's face, and she watched how her friend avoided eye contact and fidgeted, wiping her hands on her apron as she spoke. "He's nice?"

Elizabeth grinned softly and nodded. "He's very nice."

"Is he single?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh, not you too. You sound like Charlotte."

Kate was undeterred. "Is he single?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Yes, he's single. And he's a dad, he has a five-year-old son named Jack."

"Ugh, baggage."

Elizabeth put her hands on her hips and finally looked at Kate, eyebrows knit together. "Jack isn't _baggage_, he's a sweet little boy."

Kate smirked. "Ohhh, getting a little defensive are we? Hm."

"I'm not – I'm not getting defensive, I just – I don't think it's very fair to call a child 'baggage', that's all. Not to mention, it's just not nice."

"Is he divorced?"

"Who, Jack? No, I don't believe he's ever been married."

"Ha ha, you're hysterical. I was talking about Jack's dad."

"No, he's – his wife passed away. I don't know the specifics, so don't ask. That's all I know."

"Oh, wow. That's too bad. So, how well do you know him?"

Again, Elizabeth shrugged. "Not very. We ate at Charles' house Sunday night, and we've ridden the ferry together, we've bumped into each other a few times...and we went to the beach today for a little while."

Kate's eyebrows rose up high on her forehead. "You went to the beach with him today? Just the two of you?"

"No, Jack was with us, of course."

Kate was still observing her friend closely, and didn't miss the nervous fidgeting or the slight tint of pink to her skin. "You're not telling me everything, are you? Here I just told you all my woes about Charles, and when it comes time for you to talk, you clam up. Come on, tell me. What's going on?"

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "Alright, alright. There's really nothing to tell, but...I like him."

Kate looked at her, her expression blank. "That's it? You like him?"

"Yeah, I do," Elizabeth answered quietly. "He's a nice guy, kind of quiet...he's great with his son, and to top it all off, he's absolutely gorgeous, and tall. Very tall." She paused. "This is going to sound childish, compared to what you just told me about your afternoon with Charles, but he – he held my hand today, at the beach, and it felt good. It felt...I don't know. I don't know how it felt. I mean, we're just starting to get to know each other..." She glanced at Kate, and saw the blank expression still there. "This probably sounds ridiculous to you."

Kate's face softened. "No, it doesn't sound ridiculous at all. Do you think that I don't remember what it felt like when Charles held my hand for the first time? I know just what you mean, believe me." She grinned, and reached forward to squeeze Elizabeth's hand briefly. "You haven't shown interest in anyone since you moved here, so I know this is huge for you." Elizabeth started to speak, but Kate cut her off. "I know, and I'm not jumping the gun. It's just a friendship, at the moment anyway, right?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Right."

"That's great. Would you be happy if it grew to be more than a friendship?"

"I – I don't know, I think it's too early, too – too soon to think about that. Plus, I have no idea what he's thinking." _And I don't want to get my hopes up._

"Well, he held your hand, didn't he? Little things can mean a lot."

"Yes, they can."

"Just do me a favor, okay?"

Elizabeth looked puzzled. "Okay..."

"Promise me you'll leave yourself open to the possibility of something more. I know your marriage sucked, and you haven't as much as batted an eyelash at a guy since you moved here, but if this Will is as nice as you say, don't – don't talk yourself out of anything. Just let the chips fall."

Elizabeth shook her head slightly, looking away from Kate's earnest expression, and unexpectedly, she felt her stomach flutter, just at the thought of _something more_ with Will. Forcibly, she stopped those thoughts, refusing to 'jump the gun', as Kate had said. She didn't want to set herself up for heartbreak, but she would try to do what Kate asked.

"Okay," she said, turning to look at her friend again with a small grin on her lips. "I will, I'll keep myself open to possibilities, I promise." Kate beamed back at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to give her a tight squeeze.

Elizabeth took a deep breath._ Let the chips fall where they may._

* * *

_Still taking baby steps. Please let me know what you think! Thanks._


	11. Chapter 10

_Happy Monday, everyone! Thanks to those of you who are leaving reviews, I really appreciate hearing from you. Huge thanks to my betas, Mariana and Jan, for pushing me along. I promise I'll get back on track soon!_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Elizabeth sat behind her desk at the library on Friday, and glanced at the clock again. Rolling her eyes, she sighed. _It's five minutes later than it was when I last looked_. Time seemed to be crawling, and she knew why; she was filled with anticipation for her lunch date. _No, not lunch date_, she reminded herself, _just lunch_.

Will had called her completely out of the blue last night, and had asked if she would like to join him and Jack for lunch before story hour started. She was surprised, but pleasantly so, and immediately said yes. He'd let her pick the time, and she'd suggested one o'clock, so that their lunch would finish just as story hour was set to begin.

They had chatted for a little while, making small talk. He'd asked about her workday, and she'd asked about his day spent with Jack and Sam. Of course, he'd had a couple of humorous stories to tell her about the boys' escapades, and told her that they'd all indulged in a pretty competitive squirt gun battle.

He'd also mentioned to her that Charles had officially bought the spot in Portland for his pub, and Elizabeth told him that she had heard the good news already.

Eventually, after talking for about twenty minutes, they'd said their goodbyes. The grin on Elizabeth's face stayed with her, though, right up until she fell asleep.

Now, as she saw that it was getting closer to one, her stomach began to flutter. She sat at her desk, tapping a pencil on the blotter repeatedly, until Mary came up behind her and yanked it out of her hand, effectively silencing it.

Elizabeth grinned up at her sheepishly. "Sorry." In lieu of having no pencil to tap, she clasped her hands together and forced them to stay on her lap.

"What's going on with you?" Mary asked in a whisper, hands on her hips. "You've been a nervous bundle of energy all day, it's driving me crazy."

"I have _not_ been a nervous bundle of energy all day, you're exaggerating."

Mary pointed to the paperclips scattered all over Elizabeth's desk. Most of the clips had been bent and twisted from their original shape; those that weren't rendered unrecognizable were linked together in a long chain. "I beg to differ. You are the most organized person I know, and right now, your desk looks like the aftermath of an explosion at a paperclip factory."

Elizabeth moved to gather all the clips together, and shoved them into a drawer. "Don't you have a list of people to persecute for their overdue books or something? I promise, I'll sit quietly –."

She halted mid-sentence as she saw Jack walk into the library, his father in tow. Before she could stop herself, she let her eyes travel over Will, taking in the way the royal-blue polo shirt he wore enhanced the darkness of his hair and eyes. He wore loose-fitting dark gray cargo shorts and a pair of startlingly white sneakers. She watched as he looked around the library, and when his gaze finally rested on her, the smile that broke out on his face put her heart – and her stomach – into overdrive.

Mary, who had been completely forgotten by Elizabeth at this point, turned to see what had garnered her co-worker's attention, and quickly spotted the man who had just walked in. She discreetly tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder as he began to approach, and muttered under her breath. "Lizzy Bennet, who is _that_?"

Elizabeth grinned and answered quietly, never taking her eyes from Will's. "A friend, we're having lunch." She rose and exhaled anxiously, grabbing her pocketbook and looping it onto her shoulder before finally looking at Mary with a bright smile on her face. "Back in an hour."

"Wait, no introduction?" Mary whispered.

"When we get back. Bye."

Will watched as Elizabeth walked out from behind the desk, and took note of how pretty she looked in her navy blue skirt and white sleeveless blouse. He immediately noticed that she wore heels, which showed off her legs nicely, and gave her a little extra height. _She still barely makes it to my shoulders_, he thought, grinning to himself. Her hair was down, falling around her shoulders in thick, shiny waves, and he couldn't help but think of the sexy librarian stereotype that they had laughed about at Charles' house._ Oh, she has no idea how well she represents that stereotype right now_, he thought, sighing to himself.

He stopped his musings before they went any further, and met her in the middle of the large room. After greetings were exchanged between the three of them, he immediately voiced his previous thoughts – some of them, at least – as he smiled at her.

"You look very nice." His gaze roamed her face before stopping at her eyes; they were shining brilliantly up at him, and for a split-second, he felt as if he had been punched in the stomach.

Elizabeth smiled at the unexpected compliment. "Oh, thank you. Um, do you have any preference for lunch?"

"Is there a McDonald's in Portland?" Jack asked. "I haven't been to one in a really long time."

Will shook his head. "I don't think there is."

"Well, actually, there is," Elizabeth said, "but it's not close enough for us to walk to."

"Darn," Jack said. "Can we go another day?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, another day. As far as preference, I don't have one, and Jack will eat a sandwich or some soup...is there a cafe or a deli nearby?"

Elizabeth grinned. "I know just the place." She looked down at Jack. "It's called 'Silly's', what do you think of that?"

"It's kinda a funny name," he said seriously. "Is it a silly place?"

Elizabeth laughed, and the group of three began to walk toward the exit. "Not really. We'll have to find out why they named it that while we're there."

They stepped out into the bright sunshine and began walking down the sidewalk, Jack walking between the two adults. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt his small hand take hold of hers. She looked down in surprise, and noticed that he was holding his father's hand as well. He sauntered along, hopping over the cracks in the sidewalk, holding their hands as if he'd done it a million times before.

She glanced up at Will, and saw that he had noticed as well. The look on his face expressed concern, however, not surprise, and she wondered if he thought that she would be uncomfortable with Jack's actions. In response, she smiled softly at him, hoping to assure him that she was fine with it, and immediately, the tension left his face.

It was a short walk to the small restaurant, and immediately upon entering, Jack released their hands and started peering up at all the colorful paintings on the walls. There were collages of pictures with people holding 'Eat At Silly's' bumper stickers as well, taken all over the world. One even showed a couple standing on the Great Wall of China, the bumper sticker proudly displayed and held between them. After a few minutes looking at everything, he wandered back over to Will and Elizabeth, who were looking at the giant chalkboard menu, discussing what looked good – which was pretty much everything.

Jack tugged on Will's hand, and stood on his tiptoes to whisper to his father. "It's not really silly."

Will laughed quietly. "Well, why don't you ask someone that works here how it got its name?"

"Okay."

Finally, when it was their turn to order at the counter, Jack spoke up. "S'cuse me," he said, looking up at the young woman taking orders.

She looked at him and smiled. "What can I do for you?"

"Why is it called Silly's?"

"Oh, I can answer that," she said, leaning on the counter to talk to him, "everyone always wants to know that. It's actually not why you think. It was named after a woman that the original owners knew whose last name was Cily. She owned a restaurant in Jamaica named 'Bongo Cily's'. They liked the name, so they kept it and just changed the spelling."

Jack looked disappointed. "Oh. Can I have a grilled cheese sandwich?"

Elizabeth covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, and noticed that the woman behind the counter was trying to remain serious as well. Will bent down to whisper something in Jack's ear, and then Jack spoke again.

"Um, thanks for tellin' me about the name," he said to the woman, "and can I have a grilled cheese please?"

Elizabeth ordered a salad with grilled chicken, goat cheese, and various locally grown, organic vegetables, and Will ordered a burger. She offered to split the check with him, but he would hear nothing of it, and was in disbelief that she had even offered.

"I invited you to lunch with us, what kind of guy would I be if I made you pay?" He shook his head, looking at her as if she'd gone crazy, and she couldn't help but laugh a little at him.

They chose to sit outside on the patio, surrounded by hedges, with colorful umbrellas shading the tables. It was fairly crowded, as Elizabeth had known it would be; it was a popular spot.

Will's mouth dropped open comically when his burger was placed in front of him. "Holy cow."

Jack giggled. "That's a huge burger, Dad." The server placed his sandwich in front of him and his face lit up. "I didn't know it came with French fries!" He happily started munching away, leaving Will and Elizabeth to talk a little more.

Will wanted to say something to her about Jack, about the way he had taken her hand; he needed to know if it had made her uncomfortable. She had smiled at him when it had happened, leading him to believe she was okay with it, but he still needed to hear it from her. It was the last thing he had expected to see, and he was amazed that Jack had done it; obviously, he was comfortable with Elizabeth, and thought nothing of reaching up to take her hand. _Like father, like son_, he thought, fighting to hold back the grin that was struggling to break free. Seeing as Jack was sitting right next to them, however, his question would have to wait until another time. Instead, he asked about Jane, knowing how excited Elizabeth was that she was visiting.

"When is Jane due in?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Knowing her, she'll just show up." Suddenly, she began rummaging through her pocket book, and pulled out her cell phone. "Sorry, it just dawned on me that I haven't checked to see if Jane texted me at all, I completely forgot," she said, shaking her head. _Gee, I wonder why_. Sure enough, there was a message.

_Should be there by 1:30 or so, will meet you at the library. What time are you off? _

"Oops," Elizabeth said under her breath as she tucked her phone away again.

"Oops?" Will repeated.

She nodded and glanced at her watch. "Apparently, she's due in around 1:30. Which is now. I'm supposed to work until five, but maybe I'll leave early if it's not too busy. Mary probably won't mind."

"What's your sister's name again?" Jack asked around a mouthful of gooey cheese.

"Her name is Jane," Elizabeth answered.

Jack nodded and went back to observing his surroundings, watching the birds as they hopped around on the patio and under the tables, looking for scraps.

"Listen, if she doesn't want to get together on Sunday, it's fine," Will said quietly. "I thought about it after, and realized that the last thing she'll probably want to do is hang out with a bunch of people she doesn't know."

Elizabeth raised a brow at him. "Are you rescinding your invitation to us, Mr Darcy?"

Will grinned, completely enamored by the teasing glint in her eyes. "No, no, of course not, I want you to come, I just – I don't want you to feel obligated, especially if your sister isn't up for it."

"That's nice, thank you, but I'm sure she'll be fine with it. Oh, what do you want me to bring?"

"Umm...nothing." _Just your beautiful, sexy librarian self, _he thought, as he continued to gaze into her eyes.

"I have to bring something, I can't come empty-handed."

Suddenly he smiled. "Actually, the guacamole you made the other day was awesome. Would you mind making that again?"

They both laughed as Jack scrunched up his nose.

"Don't worry, you don't have to eat it," Will said, ruffling Jack's hair before turning back to Elizabeth.

"I can definitely make that. Nothing else though?"

He shrugged. "If you want to bring something else, that's fine, surprise me."

She grinned. "Okay."

They finished their meals, and headed out onto the sidewalk again. This time, Jack walked ahead of them, still studiously avoiding the cracks.

"Do all kids do that?" Elizabeth asked quietly, leaning in toward Will as they walked, their arms bumping occasionally. "It's like they know, innately, that they're supposed to skip over the sidewalk cracks."

Will laughed. "It's funny you mention that, I don't think I've ever played that game with him." Then he remembered the little saying that went along with it: _Step on a crack, break your mother's back._ "Yeah, I know we've never done it before."

Elizabeth seemed to remember the dark childrens' rhyme at the same time, and she looked up at him. "I'm – I'm sorry, that was very insensitive of me, I wasn't thinking about the rest of it." It was such a small thing, really, and was completely unintentional, but she was mortified.

Will smiled softly and purposely bumped her shoulder a little harder. "No need to apologize, it's fine. He's just keeping himself occupied." She was looking away from him, and sensing her embarrassment, he reached out to touch her hand, tugging on her fingers a little before lacing them loosely with his. "Stop, Lizzy, it's _fine_. You don't have an insensitive bone in your body."

They were rounding the corner to the library as she was about to reply, when she heard her sister's voice call out to her.

"Lizzy! There you are!"

Elizabeth looked to her right, and sure enough, Jane was sitting on a bench in front of the library, basking in the sun. She hopped up and quickly walked over to them, and Will immediately released Elizabeth's hand. The two sisters embraced tightly, as if they hadn't seen each other in ages, when it had actually been less than a week.

"Hi Jane," Elizabeth said, beaming at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your text until just a little while ago, and I had already left for lunch."

Jane waved a hand, brushing her off. "Oh, that's fine, I've only been here for about twenty minutes or so. I've been people-watching." She turned to Will and smiled up at him, holding out her hand. "Hi, I'm Jane Bennet. And you are...?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly. "Oh, I'm sorry. Jane, this is Will Darcy and his son Jack. This is my sister Jane."

Will shook her hand and smiled. "Hi Jane, nice to meet you."

"You too." Jack offered his hand as well, his expression one of all business, and Jane shook it lightly. "Nice to meet you, Jack."

"Nice to meet you too," he replied quietly. He looked up at Elizabeth. "Is it almost story hour?"

Elizabeth glanced at her watch. "Oh! It is. Ugh, I didn't even pick out a book yet, I hope Mary thought of that." She looked at Jane. "I'm going to try to leave early, but I have to do story hour first. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not, I knew you had to work. I'm sure I'll find something to keep me busy." She grinned mischievously. "Maybe I'll come in and see if I can make you laugh while you read."

"Hmm, maybe I'll help you," Will said, speaking to Jane, but smiling at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth groaned and shook her head, making them both chuckle. "You know, if you make me laugh, then it gets the kids laughing, and then it all goes downhill from there. Please restrain yourselves."

"Yes, mother," Jane replied. "Actually, I might go browse some of the shops nearby. I'll come back in an hour."

"Good idea," Elizabeth said, obviously relieved. "Go spend some money. I'll see you in a little while."

Jane turned to Will and Jack. "It was nice to meet you both, enjoy the rest of the day."

"Thanks, nice to meet you too," Will said.

As Jane walked away, Elizabeth turned to Will. "Well, I need to get in there if I'm going to read, but I just realized that I didn't thank you for lunch. So thank you, it was a very nice treat." She shook her head. "I'm normally not this...forgetful. Or rude! I'm sorry."

Will caught her eyes and held them with his. "You're welcome, it _was_ very nice. Now will you stop apologizing please?"

"I'm sor –." She stopped, realizing what she was about to say, and laughed, making his smile broaden in return. _Oh, those dimples._ "Okay, I'll stop."

He nodded toward the library door. "Get in there and hypnotize the kids for an hour, I'll see you after."

She smiled at him. "Okay. See you in a bit." She looked at Jack, who was beginning to fidget impatiently. "Thanks for having lunch with me, Jack."

He grinned. "You're welcome."

"Make sure you sit right up front, okay?"

"'Kay, I will."

She looked up at Will one last time. "Thanks again."

He rolled his eyes comically. "Get in there!"

Turning, she walked into the library, feeling as though she was floating in the clouds, and then smiling as the sound of two dozen impatient five and six-year-olds very quickly brought her right back down to earth.

* * *

At the knock on his office door, Robert Darcy glanced up. "Come in," he barked, irritated that he was being interrupted; his staff knew better than to bother him when he was working at home, unless it was an emergency. His irritation quickly faded when he saw his daughter enter. "Georgiana, come in, come in. What can I do for you?" he asked, smiling genuinely now, and closing the cover of his laptop.

"Hi Daddy, I just wanted to see if you needed anything. Would you like me to make you a sandwich or something for lunch?"

He sat back in his chair and looked at her in amusement. "That would be lovely, but you know you don't have to, that's what we have staff for."

Georgiana rolled her eyes. "I can make my own father a sandwich without help."

Robert laughed. "I know you can, dear, I know you can." His eyebrows furrowed. "Something tells me you're not only here for an offering of lunch. What is it?"

She sighed. "Well, you know I'm going to visit Fitzwilliam and Jack tomorrow."

He nodded slowly. "I'm well aware of that, yes."

"Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to Will? Anything you'd like to say to him?"

Robert stared at his daughter. "Georgie, if there was something I needed to say to your brother, I'd pick up the phone and say it myself." His tone was gruff, but he couldn't help it. "Why would you think I'd use you as my carrier pigeon?"

"I don't think you'd _use_ me, I was just offering. This – this bickering, or whatever it is that's going on between you...it has to stop." She walked toward his desk and seated herself in one of the chairs in front of it. "You have to get it straightened out and make amends."

"Fitzwilliam knows very well how to _amend_ the situation," Robert replied, his tone flat. "He needs to return home, to his proper place, and resume his duties as my son and heir."

Georgiana shook her head. "Dad, we're not living in the 1800's anymore, you know. You fired Will when he told you he was moving to Maine, even though you and I both know that he would have been fully capable of performing his _duties_ from there." She clasped her hands together on her lap and stared down at them, thinking about what her brother had said about their father and his need for control.

"Is this what's going to happen every time one of your children goes against your wishes?" Her voice was quiet, and she slowly looked up at her father, into his unfathomably dark eyes, the very eyes that he had passed down to his son.

"Why would you ask me a question like that, Georgiana?" Robert was hesitant now, unsure of where this conversation was going. Had she done something, or was she _about_ to do something, that he would find disagreeable?

"Because – because I know how things have been between you and Will over the past few years – more than that – and how you can barely tolerate each other." She paused, trying to ignore the nerves that were making her voice tremble. "What if – what if I told you that I – I wanted to leave school? Or – or maybe just study something different, not study business? What – what would you say to me then?"

Robert was taken aback, caught completely off guard by her question. "Leave school? Why would you want to leave school, that's ridiculous!"

"Why is that so ridiculous?" Georgiana asked. "I'm not happy at school, I have no interest in what I'm studying, and yet I'm studying it because it's what I'm expected to do, so that I'll be able to take my position in the family business when the time comes."

"Yes, because you are a Darcy, and to the Darcys, family is _everything_," Robert stated firmly, his voice low.

Georgiana shook her head. "No, that's not true. I thought it was, but it's not. I'm sorry, Daddy, but your family is not everything to you; your family _business_ is everything to you." She swallowed as she saw a look of anger come over his face, but she carried on, knowing she needed to say what she had practiced saying all morning. "If your family was everything, you and Will would be talking. Where he lives, and how things look to the outside world, wouldn't mean a thing to you."

"My reputation as a businessman is important, Georgiana. Don't presume to tell me the importance I place on my family, and where it ranks in relation to the importance I place on this business. You have no right coming into my office to talk to me this way."

"Yes, I do," Georgiana replied, feeling slightly more confident. "I'm your _daughter_, and as such, I'm fully expected to step up at some point and take my place in DMG, you've just said as much." She sighed and shook her head. "You don't see it, Dad. You want to criticize Will, ostracize him, remove him from your life because he isn't behaving the way that you think a Darcy should behave, but what about you? Do you honestly feel like you are behaving the way a father should behave?"

Robert felt his face crimson. "I've had enough of this. I will _not_ discuss the relationship between Fitzwilliam and myself any further, _and_, I will not have you questioning my judgment as a father."

Suddenly, Robert froze as the memory of his last conversation with his son came back to him, the one they'd had the day before Will had moved away. _Fitzwilliam said almost the exact same thing to me. _For a moment, he wavered, but then forcefully pushed away the vivid memory.

"Furthermore, if you choose to leave school, you do so at your own risk. I will not have a layabout socialite as a daughter, whose sole occupation is to spend her father's money." He regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth; had he even asked her what she would do if she did leave school? Or if there was a different course of study she'd rather pursue?

The look on Georgiana's face answered his questions quite plainly; no, he had not asked. She was staring at him, her eyes wide, and looked as though she was about to burst into tears. He took a calming breath and began to speak. "Georgiana, dearest –."

"No, Daddy, please don't." Her voice was soft, but she wouldn't look at him as she rose from the chair. "I – I have to go pack. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. Will – Will said I could stay as long as I'd like. I'll be sure to say goodbye before I go."

Georgiana turned and left the office, closing the door behind her, and finally let the tears fall as her father's words echoed through her mind. _Layabout socialite?_ She shook her head, forcing her eyes to dry. _He doesn't know me at all; my own father has no idea who I am. _

* * *

Elizabeth had chatted with Will and Jack for about fifteen minutes after story hour had ended, and was well-aware of the curious looks she was garnering from her co-workers, especially Mary. She finally caved and introduced them, and could see a glimmer of humor in Will's eyes; undoubtedly, he was remembering the teasing conversation they'd had at Charles' house about the stereotypical librarian, and how Mary's name had come up.

Jane hadn't arrived back at the library yet, and for this, Elizabeth was grateful; she knew that Jane would already have questions, so she was prepared for a full inquisition. Seeing Will again would only add fuel to the fire.

Their goodbye had been pleasant, if a bit drawn out. She walked them outside, and Will seemed as though he didn't really want to go, which she found amusing, since she kind of didn't want him to leave. Finally, he gave in to the insistent tugging on his hand by Jack, who was anxious to get to the lumber supply company to order the wood for the fort they had decided to build.

Once again, Will had taken her hand and given it a light squeeze before walking away, down the sidewalk toward the waterfront. He glanced back at her, just once, and when their eyes met, they both smiled. Elizabeth gave a slight wave and he returned it, before turning to Jack and lifting him to hoist him up onto his shoulders. Watching his affection toward Jack made her heart melt a little, and she continued to watch them until they were just about out of sight.

Jane walked up behind Elizabeth, tapping her on the shoulder, and looked to see what – or rather, who – her sister was watching. "What are you staring at?"

"Oh, nothing. Um, I was looking for you, actually."

Jane smiled. "And here I am. So, you weren't watching Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome as he walked away? Because I saw him leave."

Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly and sighed. "Can we go back in? I still have a little work to do."

"Ahh, you can avoid my questions now, but you have some 'splainin' to do, Miss Lizzy."

"Later, over dinner...or a drink?"

"Both sound perfect," Jane replied, grinning.

An hour later, Elizabeth and Jane made their way down Fore Street in Portland, and went into Bull Feeney's. It was one of Elizabeth's favorite pubs in Portland, mainly because it was very, very old, and extremely unpretentious. The owners had remodeled the upstairs a bit, making it lighter and brighter, but the downstairs bar still consisted of dark wood paneling, exposed brick, and slightly lopsided stools, making it one of her preferred places to go and have a drink when she was out with friends. The sisters had decided to come here before meeting Kate and Charlotte for dinner at Ri Ra, a large, popular restaurant closer to the ferry docks.

"Did you have a good drive up?" Elizabeth asked after they ordered their drinks. They sat at a small table in the bar area, which was beginning to fill up, as it always did on Fridays.

"It was fine, no traffic at all. Traveling in the middle of the day makes a huge difference."

"How are Mom and Dad?"

Jane shrugged. "They're fine. Mom is devastated that Stuart is no longer in the picture, of course, but she'll get over it."

Elizabeth nodded, looking up as the waitress set their glasses of wine in front of them. "She always does, eventually."

"Dad seems a bit more...I don't know, resigned, maybe, to the fact that you're not coming back to Boston."

Elizabeth sighed. "Well, that's good, I guess. I don't know why he was holding on so tightly; you're nearby, Lydia is still home...it's not like we've all just flown the coop at once."

"No, that's true, but you're his favorite, Lizzy, you know you always have been. He liked having you close by. He certainly doesn't have the intelligent conversation with Mom or Lydia that he used to have with you. You're so alike." Jane shrugged and grinned. "I'm afraid I don't compare either."

"Oh, come on Jane, you're just as capable of intelligent conversation as I am. So is Lydia! She's just not, I don't know, as interested in making it, I suppose. Speaking of Lydia, have you talked to her at all this week?"

Jane shook her head. "We've texted a few times, but that's all."

"Hm. I'm just wondering if George has come back into the coffee shop at all. I hope she takes what I said seriously."

"I'm sure she will."

"Have you talked to Stuart?"

"No, but then I didn't expect to. There's nothing else to say, really, so...why bother?"

Elizabeth looked at her sister closely, but couldn't find signs of distress or disappointment. "And you're sure you're okay with everything, with the way it all ended?"

Jane took a sip of her wine, then shrugged. "Well, I would have preferred that he hadn't cheated on me, of course, but...I've thought about it more, and really, if his ex-wife is his soul mate, if they're really meant to be together...how can I begrudge him that happiness?"

Elizabeth smiled softly. "I'm glad you feel that way, and that you're not a wreck over everything. I would hate to see you heartbroken."

Jane grinned. "I'm not, I'm good." She looked at Elizabeth with penetrating blue eyes. "So, are you ready to talk, now that we've gotten all of the other inane stuff out of the way?"

Elizabeth groaned internally, knowing what was coming. "Talk about what?"

"Who. Talk about _who_."

"Oh, you mean Will who?" Elizabeth asked innocently.

Jane sighed. "Yes, I mean Will who. Anything you want to tell me?"

Elizabeth grinned and shrugged. "We're just friends."

Jane laughed outright. "Friends don't hold hands while they walk down the street together, Lizzy. Try again."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Why would I lie to you? We are, we're just friends. I think – I think we both feel a little something more, but we really haven't done anything about it."

Jane's eyebrows rose. "Do you _want_ to do something about it?"

"I – I don't know. I think I might."

"Oh, I love when you're so decisive and confident," Jane teased. "Okay, start from the beginning. Tell me all about him."

And with that, Elizabeth did. She told Jane everything she knew of him, and told of every minute they'd spent together, from their inauspicious first meeting on the dock, to his apology at the library – and yes, she told her sister about every bit of it, making Jane giggle – to the cookout at Charles', their time on the ferry together, their day at the beach, and finally, their lunch date today.

As she spoke, she stared off, letting images of him float through her mind. "He's just...very nice. He makes me laugh, though at times, he's very quiet. I would never call him outgoing or an extrovert at all. I think – I think he's just trying to find his way, with his son." She shrugged and returned her gaze to Jane. "I really don't know what to think at this point."

"Wow," Jane said, noting the color in her sister's cheeks and the far-off look in her eyes.

"I know," Elizabeth replied. "It's kind of surreal at the moment, and like I said, it's just friendship right now, nothing more."

"But he's a widower, with a five-year-old boy. I'm assuming he wouldn't just throw caution to the wind and dive in head-first, right?"

"Right."

"And you don't know how his wife died?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, we haven't talked about it."

"Has he been in any relationships since then?"

Elizabeth's brows came together, and she slowly took a sip of wine. "I don't know. I get the impression that there hasn't been anyone, but of course I could be wrong." The thought of it unexpectedly made her stomach sink.

"And he said he's comfortable around you, like you've known each other for longer than you have?"

Elizabeth nodded, but said nothing.

"Does he know anything about you, about your past?"

"He does, but only – well, only that I _have_ a past. Charles said something to him, but from what I understand, didn't share any details." Elizabeth smiled. "Charles is a good friend. I'm sure he was thinking that if Will wanted to know, he'd have to ask me himself."

Jane smiled softly at her sister, happy to see her emerging from her self-imposed solitary lifestyle. "The way he looked at you...I was watching you after I walked away, when you were going in for story hour."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You were spying on me?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Stupid question, of course I was! You were holding his hand, did you think that I wasn't immediately curious? I _had_ to watch, it was my sisterly duty."

"Okay, okay." Elizabeth paused for a moment, then smiled coyly. "So...how did he look at me?"

Jane burst out laughing, and Elizabeth joined her, and it was a long moment before they stopped. Jane noted the blush on her sister's cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes. "He just – he couldn't take his eyes off of you, and he had a little smile on his face. He looked kind of smitten."

"Smitten?"

Jane nodded. "Smitten."

Elizabeth sighed, and smiled again before taking another sip of wine. _Smitten_. "I think I like that word."

* * *

Will hung up the phone, having just finished a conversation with Maddie Gardiner. He was happy to know that she and Ed would be able to come on Sunday afternoon, and was even happier that she had promised to make up a small batch of fried chicken wings for everyone to nibble on. They had chatted for a few moments, and she had asked about his trip to the beach on Wednesday; obviously, Elizabeth must have said something to her about them going together. He didn't get the impression that Maddie was prying for information, though; if anything, she just seemed a little curious, and was interested in knowing what he and Jack thought of the picturesque cove.

After finishing the call, he strolled over to the kitchen table, where Jack was studying the blueprints for the fort.

"This is gonna be awesome, Dad. Me an' Sam are gonna have a club."

"What kind of club?" Will asked.

Jack shrugged. "I dunno, we haven't thought of one yet."

Will smiled. "Well, there's definitely no hurry, we probably won't get started on it right away." He didn't want to undertake a project like this while Georgiana was here – especially since he was no handyman.

Jack looked crestfallen. "Why not? I thought we were gonna do it tomorrow?"

"We can't, buddy, the lumber won't be delivered until Tuesday."

"Oh yeah. So can we start it Wednesday?" Jack asked, his expression hopeful.

Will sighed, giving in, knowing that Georgiana would more than likely help them if she was still visiting. "Yeah, okay, we'll start it Wednesday."

"Maybe Mr Bingley can help us."

"Well, Mr Bingley just bought that restaurant, remember, so he's going to be pretty busy. I'm sure you and I can handle it on our own." He definitely sounded more confident then he felt.

Jack looked at his father, then looked back at the blueprints, then looked at his father again, this time with a bit of skepticism. "Maybe Sam's dad can help? Or Mr Gardiner, he's never doin' anything."

Will laughed. "I'm sure Mr Gardiner is busy...but that's not a bad idea, maybe I'll ask him. They're coming over for dinner on Sunday."

"Oh. Is anyone else comin'?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, let's see...Lizzy, her sister Jane, and Mr Bingley and maybe his sister...and how about the Gradys? I was thinking of calling them to see if they wanted to come too."

Jack's face lit up. "Yeah, that would be awesome! Can Sam sleep over? He wants me to sleep over his house sometime too."

Will thought again about Georgiana's visit. "Maybe not Sunday night, but another time, for sure, okay?"

Jack frowned, but only a little. "Okay."

"We have the whole summer for sleepovers and all that."

"Yeah, I know."

Will patted his son's head and nodded toward the blueprints. "You keep studying that, and let me know when you have it all figured out. I have to call Auntie G, okay?"

"Okay. Can I talk to her when you're done?"

"Sure, I'll come get you." He walked into his office and shut the door, so that Jack wouldn't hear them discussing Georgiana's travel plans. She answered her phone right away, and Will could immediately feel that something was wrong. After their initial greetings and small talk, he questioned her about it.

"What's going on? You sound upset."

She sighed. "It's nothing. It's just – it's Dad, that's all."

"What'd he do now?" Will asked, his voice flat.

"Can we talk about it when I see you? I don't want to get into it right now."

Her voice was quiet, and Will could sense that it was serious. As much as he wanted to pry it out of her, he respected her wishes. "Okay, that's fine, we'll talk tomorrow night. So, when are you flying in?"

Georgiana gave him all the info, then surprised him when she said she would take a cab to the ferry terminal.

"I don't want you to take a cab, I want to come and get you at the airport."

"No, that will ruin the surprise! If you come to the airport, Jack will figure it out right away. Just let me take a cab from the airport to the docks, and then I'll take the ferry over and meet you on the island."

Will hesitated. "Are you sure you want to do that? What about if we meet you at the docks in Portland?"

Georgiana rolled her eyes, even though her brother couldn't see her do it. "Can we do this my way please?"

Will chuckled. "Alright, alright, you win." Her flight was early, which he was happy about; he was just as excited to see her as he knew Jack would be. "We'll be waiting for you in the Batmobile."

"What? The what?"

Will smiled. "You'll see."

* * *

Elizabeth and Jane giggled as they sat together on the last ferry of the night, headed back to the island. Their dinner with Kate and Charlotte had been a laugh a minute, and they had drawn the attention of several young men; four attractive young women, out on the town on a Friday night, obviously enjoying themselves, had a way of doing that. Now, after saying goodbye to Charlotte and Kate – who were still embracing the flirtatious attention from the men – the sisters slowly worked their way to the docks, and after boarding, were ensconced on the top deck of the ferry.

"Ohhh, I'm going to regret this tomorrow," Elizabeth groaned, kicking her heels off and placing her feet on the back of the seat in front of her. The hem of her skirt slid higher up her thighs, and she halfheartedly tugged on it to keep it from revealing too much, even though they were the only passengers on the upper deck. "I shouldn't have had that last drink. You're a bad influence."

"I am no such thing, you sucked that drink down willingly. Plus, we're not driving, so who cares? I can't believe we almost forgot to go to the garage to get my bag out of my car! Do you know how pissed I would have been if we got all the way over to this damn island and I realized I didn't have my damn toothbrush?" Jane stretched her legs out, placing them alongside Elizabeth's.

Elizabeth laughed again. "I have extras."

Jane wiggled her eyebrows and looked at her sister. "Maybe you'll need one for someone else sometime soon. Hmmm? Mr Darcy perhaps?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Please don't go there, I am _so_ not ready for you to go there."

Jane looked at her, this time with brows raised. "Oh please, you can't tell me that you haven't gone there in your head already."

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open, but she started to laugh. "No, I – I haven't. I'm attracted to him, definitely, but no, I haven't gone there." She sighed, still grinning a little. "I am _very_ attracted to him, I won't deny that. I mean, even when he was just touching my hand...it's like I was aware of every point of contact between his skin and mine. I've never felt anything like that before."

Jane smiled, but inside, she was a little sad to hear it; her sister had been married at one time, after all, and yet her husband had never made her feel that way. "It's nice, isn't it? Does your stomach get all flippy too?"

Elizabeth smiled and laughed again. "It does." She became serious, and her eyes wandered up to the sky as she stared at the stars. "I do like him, Jane. As little as I know him, I just – I have a good feeling about him. I think that he appreciates life a little more than someone else his age might, you know? And I think that if he was to get involved with someone, it wouldn't be something he would do lightly. He doesn't strike me as someone that would...I don't know, play games. He has Jack, after all. Jack is the center of his life."

Jane was quiet for a moment, contemplating what her sister had just said. "I understand that Jack is the center of his life, that's the way it should be. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have room in his life for someone else as well, Lizzy." She wrapped her arm around Elizabeth's shoulders, and they leaned their heads together. "If you like him, just go with it. See where it takes you. Leave yourself open to what-ifs."

"You sound like Kate," Elizabeth said quietly. "She made me promise to be open to possibilities."

Jane grinned. "Kate's a smart girl, and if you promised her, than you can promise me too. I watched him look at you today, Lizzy, and I don't think I'm mistaken when I say that he's interested in you, beyond friendship. And if he hasn't been with anyone else, if you're the first since – since his wife, then it's a huge deal for him too, I'm sure. And I know there hasn't been anyone else for you since George, so it's not easy for you too."

"George – and Bill – are part of my past," Elizabeth said firmly, sitting up and turning to look at Jane. "I'm not going to let them influence my future. I refuse to let that happen."

Jane nodded and smiled softly at her sister's bravado. "I'm glad to hear that."

Elizabeth sighed, and slowly sat back again in her seat. _And I'll keep saying it, until I finally believe it_.

* * *

"What are we waitin' for, Dad?" Jack asked impatiently as they sat at the docks late Saturday morning. "Are they bringing the wood today so we can start the fort?"

Will smiled at the expectant look on Jack's face. "No, they're not. I just thought it would be, um, fun to sit and people watch for a little bit." The ferry had docked, and passengers were slowly starting to walk off. Will smiled when he caught sight of Georgiana's blonde hair, and turned to Jack. "Look at the people coming off, see if you can pick someone out that you could tell me a story about."

Jack sighed and stared at the people disembarking. "How am I s'posed to make up –."

Jack's words stopped as he caught sight of Georgiana, and Will watched as his mind struggled to confirm what his eyes were seeing. Finally, he realized it was indeed her, and his face exploded in a huge smile, revealing dimples that matched his father's.

"Auntie G! Auntie G!" Jack yelled excitedly, rushing over to her. Georgiana saw him coming, and squatted down to wrap him up in her arms as he finally reached her. She squeezed him tightly, until he struggled to pull away. "Why are you here?"

She laughed. "I came to see you! Are you surprised?"

"Yeah, I am! Wait 'til my dad sees you, he's gonna be surprised too!" He spun around, looking for his father, who was just walking up to them. "Dad, look! It's Auntie G! She's surprisin' us!"

Will laughed as Georgiana stood, and they hugged each other. "Wow, this is a great surprise," he said, kissing Georgiana's cheek, then staring down at Jack.

Jack looked at him suspiciously. "You knew she was comin', huh?"

Will nodded, grinning. "I did. We wanted to surprise you though. I guess it worked."

Jack smiled again. "Yeah, it worked, I'm surprised."

"I'm glad," Georgiana said, smiling and ruffling his hair.

"How long are you stayin'? Are you gonna stay at our house?"

"Yup, I'm staying with you, your dad said you have a lot of room. And I don't know how long I'm staying...maybe a week?" She glanced at Will.

"I told you, you're welcome to stay as long as you want," he said quietly, making sure that she understood that he meant it.

Georgiana nodded. "Okay."

They made their way to the Batmobile, which Georgiana loved, though she couldn't believe that this cart was their main form of transportation on the island. Will loaded her two bags into the back, and they headed away from the docks. As they drove along, he pointed out a few things to Georgiana, telling her some of the basic history of the island.

"Hey Dad, look, is that 'Lizabeth up there walkin'?" Jack called out, pointing ahead of them from his seat on Georgiana's lap.

"Oh, yeah, I think it might be," Will answered, his eyes now glued to the two women walking towards them from far down the lane. "We'll see when we get a little closer."

Sure enough, it was the Bennet sisters, walking with beach bags slung over their shoulders. Elizabeth smiled as she saw the cart approaching, knowing who it was.

"Hi Lizzy!" Jack said, waving from Georgiana's lap.

"Hi Jack, hi Will," Elizabeth answered, smiling at them.

Will greeted both women, and then introduced Georgiana to them. "I take it you ladies are off to the beach?" he asked.

"We are," Elizabeth answered, "we're just heading down to Diamond Cove."

"I thought you liked Indian Cove? Didn't you say it has your favorite view?" Will asked, his attention now completely focused on Elizabeth. He smiled when he saw her face flush a little.

"It does have my favorite view, definitely, but it's too far to walk," Elizabeth replied, smiling back at him. "Not all of us are spoiled enough to own a flashy cart."

"Ah, jealous of the Batmobile are you?" Will asked, chuckling. "I'm sorry I don't have the space, I'd offer you a ride."

Elizabeth shook her head, still smiling. "It's a short walk, I think we can manage."

"Well, enjoy it, it's certainly a perfect beach day." He hesitated, just for a moment, before speaking again, but kept his eyes on hers. "See you tomorrow?"

She nodded. "See you tomorrow."

They said their goodbyes, and as they drove away, Jack began to chat. "That's 'Lizabeth, she's really nice. She works at the library, and she's really good at readin' for story hour. One time we had a squirt gun battle at Mr Bingley's house and Dad squirted her on accident and she got him back really good. We went to the beach with her the other day, that beach that Dad said, it's really cool, an' she told me all about the black rocks and how come they're crooked. Sometimes we sit with her on the ferry if we see her, and she ate lunch with us yesterday at Silly's, but it wasn't silly at all, it's just regular."

Georgiana looked carefully at her brother as Jack told her about their new friend. Will was still grinning a little, and his eyes were bright, and he hadn't said a single word since driving away from the two women. She wasn't even sure if he was listening to Jack, but _she_ definitely was, and the more her nephew talked, the more curious she became. _I guess I'm not the only one who has some talking to do_, she thought.

They pulled up to Will's house a few minutes later, and Georgiana's eyes nearly fell out of her head. "Oh, Will, this is just gorgeous! Look at that porch!" She climbed out of the cart and looked around, her mouth hanging open. "This is just wonderful."

He walked over to her and smiled as he looked around. "It is nice, isn't it? I really do love it here."

"I can see why," she answered, then inhaled deeply. "It even smells good!"

Will laughed. "It does. According to the real estate agent who sold me the place, there will be flowers everywhere soon, and it'll smell even better when they're in bloom." He nodded toward the door. "Come on, I'll give you the tour."

Later on, after enjoying a light lunch and a full tour of the house, they sat outside on the deck, enjoying the view of Casco Bay. Georgiana sipped from a glass of water while Will had a beer, courtesy of Charles. Jack was in the backyard, swinging on a tire swing that Will had purchased in Portland and had hung up just that morning, suspending it from the solid branch of a huge oak tree.

"Jack seems good," Georgiana said quietly, watching her nephew spin around in circles on the swing.

"He _is_ good," Will answered. "He's happy. He's made a good friend, Sam, they have fun together. Um, he might be coming over tomorrow night. I hope you don't mind, I invited some people over, for a cookout. Nothing big, just a few friends. I thought it would be nice for you to meet them."

Georgiana smiled. "Of course I don't mind, that's sounds great."

Will grinned. "You'll like Charles, he's – well, he's the total opposite of me. He talks constantly, and he's in a perpetual good mood. He's opening a business, I think I told you about that, so I've been helping him get his footing a little bit, giving him some advice." He held up the glass in front of him. "This is his beer, actually."

"Who else will I get to meet?" she asked, waiting for him to bring up Elizabeth again.

"Well, there's Maddie and Ed Gardiner – Maddie was my real estate agent – and Charles might bring his sister, Caroline. Oh, damn, I have to call the Gradys to see if they can come. That's Jack's friend Sam's family. Hopefully they can make it, it's nice when Jack has someone to play with. Oh, and you met Elizabeth, and her sister Jane. Jane is just visiting, for a few days I think." He cleared his throat. "So, I think that's it. Like I said, a small group. I haven't exactly been going crazy with the socializing."

Georgiana laughed. "Do you think that's a surprise? I'm actually impressed that you've met that many people already."

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm not a hermit, you know."

"I know you're not, it's just that you haven't really made an effort to get out much. Not in a long time."

Will shrugged. "It was too hard in New York, too overwhelming. Everyone already knew me, knew Anne, knew – knew _everything_."

"Have you told anyone here about what happened?"

He nodded. "Charles knows. We talked about it one day...his parents were killed by a drunk driver when he was a little younger."

"Mm, I remember you telling me about that. It's horrible," Georgiana said quietly.

"Yeah, it is. So he knows about the accident and all that. I haven't talked to anyone else about it, though I know that they all know I'm a widower." He shook his head. "God, I hate that word. It makes me feel like I should be eighty years old or something." He sighed. "They all know that I lost my wife."

Georgiana cut to the chase. "Jack seems to like Elizabeth."

Will grinned a little, and concentrated on peeling Charles' small handmade label off of the empty beer bottle that was sitting next to his glass. "Yeah, she's um – he does like her, yeah."

"Sounds like you see a lot of each other." She was waiting for him to look at her, but he stayed focused on the bottle, only raising his eyebrows a bit.

"Um, yeah, we – we see each other. Around. Occasionally."

"At the beach, on the ferry, at story hour, out to lunch..." She let her teasing voice trail off, and finally, he turned his gaze to her, and she was surprised by what she saw. "You are _blushing!_"

He shook his head. "No, no I'm not. It's the beer, it's strong."

"Bullshit!"

"Georgie!" Will exclaimed, eyebrows raised.

"Sorry, but that's a crock. What gives?"

"Nothing, nothing gives. We – we've spent some time together. She's nice, Jack likes her –."

"Oh,_ Jack _likes her. Hm, now I understand."

"Georgie, please."

She immediately stopped her teasing and looked at him seriously. "I'm sorry Will, it's just – I haven't ever seen you flustered over a girl – a woman – before. Except Anne, of course, but I was too young to remember much of that anyway."

He nodded. "I know. Anne is the only person I've ever been _flustered_ over, as you so eloquently put it, so how do you think _I _feel?"

"I'm sorry if I made it worse."

"You haven't made it worse, because it couldn't _be_ any worse," Will said quietly. "I'm just now getting to the point where I can talk to her without tripping over my words and looking like a jackass."

He didn't say anything for a moment as he thought about his sister's question. _What gives?_

"She's very nice, and we get along well, so far anyway, and I've liked spending time with her, getting to know her. She's easy to be around. I don't feel self-conscious, or feel like I have to be someone I'm not..." His voice trailed off, and he finally looked up at her. "I _like_ her, and I find that when I'm not spending time with her, I _want_ to be spending time with her."

Georgiana continued to observe Will as he talked, but remained silent; she was surprised at his candidness, and so she didn't want to say anything that would discourage him from saying what he needed to say.

"It feels weird, though, all of this," he continued quietly. "It all comes back to what I said to you before, about being a widower. It's not like I went out and got a divorce. I didn't – I didn't _choose_ for my marriage to end, the choice was taken from me." He swallowed roughly. "It's hard to just become 'unmarried', you know? And it's hard to admit that I might have feelings for someone else, however small they are right now. I don't – I don't feel guiltyabout those feelings, or at least I'm _trying_ not to feel guilty, but at the same time, it just feels odd. Anne is still there, she's still a part of me, and I see her in Jack every day. How can I let myself feel for someone else, when I still love the little parts of Anne that I see in my son? Do I just – do I just push all those feelings away, pretend they don't exist anymore?"

Georgiana watched as her brother's eyes filled, and she fought to keep her own from doing the same. His confusion was palpable, and to her, it seemed he had been keeping this bottled up inside for a long time, and she felt sad about that. She cleared her throat before speaking, and hoped that what she was about to say made sense, and would be at least somewhat helpful.

"No, I don't think you have to push those feelings away or pretend they don't exist. I think that if you find the right person, they'll understand those feelings. And I think that part of you will always love Anne." She reached out to squeeze his arm lightly, silently urging him to look at her, and waiting until he did before she continued on.

"You have to accept that, and if someone else comes into your life, that person will have to accept it too. And if that person loves you enough, they will. It doesn't mean that you won't be able to love someone else just as much as you loved Anne, I don't believe that. Anne will always live in your heart, but I think that when the time comes, _if_ the time comes, there will be room for someone else to live there too. Does that – does that make sense?"

Will nodded and took a deep breath as he stared at his sister, at the earnest expression she wore, and absorbed what she was saying. He _knew_ that she was right, he really did, but just the same, he had needed to talk about it, needed to get it all off of his chest; and although he knew it was a lot to say to his still very young sister, he didn't have anyone else to talk to about it. True, there was Charles, but Will didn't feel like he could talk to Charles about things that were so personal, not yet; their friendship was still too new. Georgiana's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Where do you see this going with Elizabeth? Or is that too much to even think about right now? I mean, obviously you've thought about it a little."

Will shrugged and went back to picking at the label on his beer bottle. "I don't know. To be honest with you, I haven't thought beyond the next time I'm going to see her. That's how I've been handling it so far."

"Have you thought about taking her out on a date?"

He shook his head and glanced up at her. "No, that won't work. I mean, how can I? I have Jack, he goes with me pretty much everywhere. And I'm not complaining, I'm really not, I love having him with me."

"If you could take her out on a date, without Jack, would you ask her?"

Will shrugged again, but this time when he looked up at her, his eyes had brightened. "Probably." He thought then, just for a brief moment, of how nice it would be to take Elizabeth out to dinner, maybe go for a nice walk on the beach, just the two of them. "Yeah, I would. I would ask her out. I don't know what she'd say, but I'd ask."

Georgiana grinned. "You certainly _do_ know what she'd say. Geez, I only met her for ten minutes, and even _I _know what she'd say." Will looked at her curiously, and she sighed and rolled her eyes. "She blushes when she talks to you, and she couldn't take her eyes off of you. She would say yes, trust me."

Will's eyebrows rose. "You think?"

"_Yes_. Yes, I think. Listen, why don't you ask her if she wants to go out some night while I'm here, I'll hang out with Jack."

He shook his head. "No, no way. I didn't ask you to come visit so that I could use you to babysit."

Georgiana sighed. "Oh please, I know that. But believe me, I would love some one-on-one time with Jack, you wouldn't be using me to babysit. He told me there's a bowling alley and an arcade on the island, I could take him bowling, and we could go play some video games, it would be fun. Maybe we could even camp in his room, like we used to do in New York."

Will smiled when he thought back to all of the times he'd walk into Jack's bedroom, when Georgiana was visiting, only to find sheets strung from every corner, making his room into a giant tent. "He would really like that," he said quietly, knowing for a fact that Jack would love to have his aunt to himself.

"Okay, then, it's settled. Tomorrow, when Elizabeth comes over for your little party, you will ask her out on a date." She watched his expression, and saw the doubt as it flitted across his features, the apprehension. She squeezed his arm again, and spoke to reassure him. "_If _you're ready to ask her, that is. I'm not trying to push you, I would never do that."

Will nodded. "I know. And I would, I really would like to ask her." He took a deep breath. "And I will. When Elizabeth comes here tomorrow, I'll ask her. I'll ask her out on a date."

* * *

_So, it looks like Will has decided to try and move things to the next level, so to speak. What do you think? Please leave me a review to let me know! Thanks!_


	12. Chapter 11

_I realized that I would not have the time to post tomorrow, so I chose to post today instead. A few people have asked about angst and whatnot in this story; I promise you, it won't be that bad. This story is pretty light. So no worries there! Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, and thanks to my betas for performing their duties so well!_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Jane and Elizabeth strolled down the cobblestone streets of Old Port on Sunday morning, poking their heads into shops that were just beginning to open up. They had just enjoyed a cup of coffee and a bagel at a small cafe, and were now content to just window shop and soak up the morning sun. They entered one shop, filled with unique clothing for women, and halfheartedly sorted through some racks.

"I don't really feel like shopping," Jane said, wrinkling her nose and staring disinterestedly at the selections in front of her. Normally, if she was in the mood, she would have been able to spend a small fortune in a shop like this.

"Me either," Elizabeth said, sighing. She had debated buying something new for the get-together at Will's house, but decided she was being silly; she had plenty of clothes and would be perfectly able to put something together. Plus, she didn't want to look as if she was trying too hard.

"What time does this party start?" Jane asked as they left the shop.

"Oh, um, around four. Are you sure you want to go?"

Jane's eyebrows rose. "Of course I do. I wouldn't deprive you of this for the world."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I don't want you to go just for me, just because you know I want to go."

"I _do_ want to go. I want to meet Charles, I've heard so much about him from you. And it will be nice to see Maddie and Ed again, I haven't seen them in a while."

"I don't know where they've been the past couple of days, they're usually around." She paused. "I just want you to have fun while you're here, that's all."

"I _am_ having fun! It's been great, very relaxing, and you're right, it was just what I needed after the whole fiasco with Stuart. I do have to leave on Tuesday, though. The school is only going to be open until Thursday, and I have to clean out my classroom. I kind of just took off to come here."

Elizabeth pouted. "Okay. I wish I didn't have to work Monday. Maybe I'll try to get out early."

"If you can, that's great, but don't worry about it. Why don't we go back to the island and hit the beach for a little while before the party? Put a little color in our cheeks."

Elizabeth smiled. "Good idea. Oh, I need to make one stop before we go back, but it's on the way to the ferry docks."

She had already planned on going to the wine shop in Old Port to get Will a few bottles of wine to add to his collection, or to potentially _start_ his collection; she wasn't sure if he'd found time yet to go to the shop himself. She was determined to find the bottles with the prettiest labels or the silliest names she could, knowing he'd figure out her motivation for buying them.

In the end, she ended up going with a few that had unique labels, buying three bottles. Jane watched as she picked them out, her confusion growing with each choice Elizabeth made.

"Why did you pick those?" Jane asked. "I've never heard of any of them."

Elizabeth grinned. "I just go by the label, it's the way I pick out wine. Will and I had a discussion about it..." Her voice trailed off, as she realized she didn't want to go into detail about the conversation they'd had. "Look at this one," she said, pointing to the bottle of white wine called 'Honey Moon'. "It says on the card in front of it that the Honey Moon is the first full moon of June, which happens to be tomorrow night. It's totally appropriate, and I love the design, it looks like honeycomb all over the label."

Jane raised an eyebrow. "Well, yeah, it's cute, but what if the wine is disgusting?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I bet it won't be." She smiled to herself. "I think he'll like them."

* * *

"I'm sorry you and Sarah can't make it, but I'd be happy to have Sam for the day," Will said as he spoke to Mike Grady on the phone Sunday morning. "If you're okay with it, of course. I know Jack would be happy if Sam could play for a while."

"Honestly, Jess would be just as happy," Mike said, laughing a little. "She wanted to spend the day with a girlfriend, and wasn't exactly thrilled that she was going to be stuck babysitting her brother instead. It's not often that I have to attend a business function on a weekend, especially a Sunday, but I'm kind of obligated. Thankfully, it's at a museum, and Sarah is actually looking forward to going."

"Well, that settles it then. Sam can spend the day here."

"You're sure?" Mike asked.

"Absolutely."

"Alright, that's great, thanks a lot. Sam will have a lot more fun with Jack than he would with his sister. What time do you want him?"

They finished up their conversation, and Will walked outside to find his sister and his son. He spotted them walking along the outskirts of the property, pointing at things in the treeline.

"Hey," he called out as he walked down the steps from the deck to the yard, heading over to join them. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothin'," Jack answered. "Auntie G is just showin' me where some flowers are gonna grow. See 'em?"

Will looked at the green shoots poking up from the leaves. "Yeah, I see them. I guess we'll have to clean out the flower beds soon. Hey, I called the Gradys," Will went on, looking at Jack. "Sam is going to come and spend the day. His parents will be in Portland, so instead of Jess babysitting, he'll come and hang out with us. How does that sound?"

Jack pumped his fist. "Awesome! Can we have a squirt gun battle again?"

Will saw Georgiana's eyes open wide, and spoke with a mischievous grin on his face. "Oh, Auntie G would love that, I'm sure."

Jack looked up at his aunt. "Yeah, Auntie G, you can be on my team with me and Sam. Dad can have Mr Bingley and 'Lizabeth."

"Oh, well, we'll see. I don't know if I'm prepared for a squirt gun battle."

Jack looked puzzled. "You don't need to be prepared, you just have to run fast so you don't get wet."

Georgiana laughed. "Oh, that's the trick?"

"Yeah, but it's not a trick though, you just run away," Jack said earnestly. "I'm going on my swing." He ran toward the tree and pulled himself up on the giant black tire, pumping his small legs to get it moving.

"So, what do we need to do for tonight?" Georgiana asked. "Do you need my help with anything?"

Will shrugged. "I don't think so. I have steak tips marinating, and the corn-on-the-cob just has to be shucked."

"How about a garden salad? Or some potato salad or something?"

Will scratched the unshaven stubble under his chin, looking thoughtful. "I didn't think of that. Maybe the market has something. You want to stay here with Jack, I'll take a ride?"

"Sure."

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit." He went into the house and grabbed his wallet and sunglasses, then headed out the door. Five minutes later, he pulled up in front of the market. As soon as he climbed out of the cart, he heard his name being called, and turned to see Caroline Bingley walking toward him across the small dirt lot.

He smiled. "Hello Caroline."

"Well, hello stranger, how are you?" She smiled at him warmly as she sauntered over.

"I'm well, thanks. You?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm looking forward to your party tonight."

He chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't call it a party, exactly. Just a cookout, nothing fancy."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it will be fun. I haven't been to that house in ages, I'm curious to see the changes you've made."

"Honestly, I've kind of left it the way it was, there wasn't anything I really wanted to change."

"It's a lovely house. Have you started to stock the wine cellar yet?"

"Um, no," he said, laughing a little. "I have good intentions there, though. I keep saying I'm going to stop into that wine store that Maddie Gardiner told me about, and somehow, I've missed every opportunity."

"Well, don't limit yourself to just the one store, there are several good wine shops around town. If you ever want an escort, just let me know."

He nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

It was silent for a moment, until she spoke again, her voice soft. "You know, I feel like I owe you an apology."

Will's brows knit together. "Me? Why?"

She sighed. "Well, the last time I saw you, at Charles' house, I was – well, I was pretty negative about his little business venture, and I'm sure I sounded like a shrew. It stems from worry, that's all. I have faith in my brother, I do, and I know that once he sets his mind to something, he's successful probably ninety-five percent of the time. It's just – it's _getting_ him to set his mind to something. And this is different, it's a huge, huge thing, and he's putting so much money into it, with even more to follow...I would just hate to see him...well, fail."

Will shrugged. "You don't need to apologize to me, you should probably apologize to your brother."

"Oh, I have, I did that the next day. He hid it well, but I could see he was upset with me. I feel like I should apologize to you too, simply because you barely know him, yet you've given him so much help with everything. I feel like I probably offended you as well."

Shaking his head, Will spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "You didn't."

Caroline reached to place her hand on his forearm. "Are you sure? I would hate for things to be tense between us, especially since we're just getting to know each other."

Will glanced at her hand, and watched her thumb as it brushed over his skin lightly, before looking back up into her eyes. "There's no tension."

Smiling, she spoke softly. "That's good, because I'd like to continue to get to know you." She squeezed his arm, then moved her hand to curl it under and around his bicep, and before he had a chance to respond, she spoke again.

"Now, I need you to come with me, you can help me with something." She tugged on him and guided him into the market and over to the deli, where the fresh foods were prepared on a daily basis. "I wanted to pick something out to bring tonight, and since you're here, you can help me decide."

As she stood next to him, Will noticed that she leaned into him, almost resting against him as her hand still held his arm. Her perfume was slightly overwhelming, and he felt the sudden urge to sneeze, but somehow kept it in check.

"I was thinking of the fresh Caprese salad, do you like that?"

Will peered through the glass case. "The what?"

"The Caprese. It's the fresh mozzarella, with tomato slices and fresh basil."

Will nodded. "Oh, that sounds great. Don't – don't go overboard, though."

She ordered the salad, then looked up at Will and spoke quietly. "I enjoy going overboard. So tell me, is there...anything else you need?"

Will pulled his head back slightly, due to the fact that when she had turned to look up at him, their faces had ended up a little too close for comfort. Well, too close for _his_ comfort. Her proximity, along with what she said and how she said it, made it very clear what she was offering. Her fingers slid from his bicep to his forearm, where they stroked slowly up and down. The small movement confirmed what he was already thinking.

Struggling to remain polite, he slowly pulled his arm out of her grasp, raising his eyebrows as he did so. He had never been hit on before, not so directly anyway, or if he had, he'd never noticed. There were always women who seemed to be a little too friendly to him, even when Anne had been alive, but he had never noticed their overtures. Anne always did, though, and always teased him about how oblivious he was.

"I'm, um, all set. Thanks," he said, dredging up a polite smile. He felt uncomfortable, cornered. Did he do something, or indicate in some way that he was interested in her beyond friendship? He didn't think he had, and yet he was receiving her attention anyway. But truthfully, it wasn't _her_ attention that he wanted. Immediately, an image of Elizabeth's face popped into his head, her brown eyes startlingly different from the bright blue ones that faced him now. "I'm just going to grab some, um, pasta salad, I think, and be on my way."

Caroline accepted her package from the man behind the counter, but watched Will closely, and noticed how nervous he was. Of course, her thought was that he was nervous because he was feeling some attraction for her, and didn't quite know how to handle it. _Poor thing,_ she thought, _he_ _probably hasn't had a woman in a long time_. She smiled sweetly at him again, and tossed her hair a little. "Well, my offer stands," she said, again keeping her voice low, "whatever you need, whenever you need it, just...let me know." Leaning toward him, standing on her toes slightly, she reached to whisper in his ear, letting her cheek rest against his. "See you tonight."

Will watched with a look of utter shock on his face as she walked away. After a moment, he turned to look at the man behind the counter, who was waiting patiently for Will's order; he had a slight grin on his face, and Will felt himself flush in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. I just – I need some salad. Pasta salad. Two pounds. Please."

The man smirked again and wiggled his eyebrows. "Ya sure that's all ya need?"

* * *

Will glanced out the window of his kitchen, then let his eyes wander to the clock. It was only just after four, but he was impatient for Elizabeth to arrive. Charles had shown up right on time, and Caroline only moments after him. At the moment they were all outside, sitting on the deck, talking to Georgiana. Will didn't miss the widening of Charles' eyes when he was introduced to Georgie; she was a beautiful girl, and when Will had a moment of privacy with Charles, he had wrapped his arm around Charles' shoulders and squeezed tightly. "Nineteen, my friend. Nineteen."

Charles smiled widely, then turned serious when he saw that Will was glaring at him. "Hey, you don't need to tell me she's off limits, that's a given. She's gorgeous, though."

"Yeah, she is," Will said, "but she's still my little sister."

Charles nodded, holding up his hands. "Say no more."

Will startled from his musings when he heard the sound of voices on the front porch, through the open windows. He could hear Ed's voice, deeper than the others, and immediately walked to the front door, just as Elizabeth was about to ring the bell. He grinned widely when he saw her.

"Hello," he said to everyone, as he swung the door wide and gestured for them to enter.

Echoes of hellos rang out, and Will shook Ed's hand, but his eyes continuously darted back to Elizabeth, quickly taking in the length of leg exposed by her pale blue skirt, before traveling back up to her eyes. She was smiling brightly, at him, and he smiled in return.

"I'm glad you could make it," he said to her quietly, then realized there were still other people surrounding them. He looked up at his other guests. "Um, all of you. Here, let me take that," he said, removing a pan from Maddie's hands and a large bowl from Elizabeth's. "Follow me into the kitchen."

"I just need to warm those a little before we can eat them," Maddie noted, watching as Will put her pan of chicken wings into the oven and set the temperature as she instructed. "They won't take too long."

Jane was carrying a brown bag that contained the wine that Elizabeth had bought for Will, and Elizabeth indicated to her to just set it down on one of the chairs. She didn't want to make a big deal out of her small gift, and didn't want to give it to him in front of everyone.

They all made small talk in the kitchen as the few appetizers, including Elizabeth's guacamole, were readied. Drinks were poured and they headed outside to the deck. Introductions were made between those who hadn't yet met, and everyone settled into chairs to relax. Jack and Sam were attempting to play catch in the yard with a ball and some baseball gloves, but were missing the ball more than they were actually catching it.

"The house looks lovely," Caroline said to Will as he sat down. "You're right, there wasn't much to be done with it, by any means."

Will nodded. "I like it the way it is." He glanced at Maddie and smiled. "Just as my real estate agent promised I would." Somehow, he had ended up sitting between Elizabeth and Caroline, and he was extremely aware of both women, although for completely different reasons.

"Oh, you must have had an _excellent_ agent," Maddie said, causing everyone to laugh.

"The best, dear, the best," Ed said, reaching over to pat her hand.

"It is gorgeous here," Jane observed, looking around the sprawling green yard, then out toward the bay. "It's so spacious and private, and I love the view of the water."

"There's a path that leads down to the shore from the backyard," Charles mentioned casually.

Will's eyes opened wide in surprise. "There is?" he asked, and everyone laughed.

Charles grinned. "I know this island like the back of my hand, trust me."

"I'd love to see the beach," Jane said, turning her gaze to Charles. "Is it too far to walk?"

Charles shook his head. "Um, no, not at all. Would you like to check it out?"

Jane nodded and smiled. "Sure."

Charles stood and helped Jane from her chair, then glanced at Will. "Back in a bit."

Will looked at Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye. She was watching as her sister and Charles left the deck and strolled across the back lawn, but her expression was unreadable.

Jane smiled as she walked with the sunlight beaming down on her. "This really is a beautiful house. I love the way it looks so old from the outside, but inside, it has a very contemporary feel."

"Yeah, Will lucked out with this one," Charles said. "It was in the same family for a long time. When they decided it was time to sell, they went to Maddie, and I guess Will was looking right around the same time."

"Do you live on the island as well, or in Portland?" Jane asked, very much aware of the handsome man walking next to her. _This is the Charles that my sister turned down?_ She turned toward him and smiled before turning back to watch where she was walking.

"I live here. Not too far from Will, in fact. Just outside the gates of the Cove, actually."

"Did you grow up here?"

"I did. We moved here when I was two years old. I lived in Portland for a little while when I was in my twenties, but after my parents died, I came back."

"So you live in the house that you grew up in? That must be nice."

"It is. Caroline lives next door." As they stepped into the woods and out of Will's backyard, Charles gestured for Jane to walk ahead of him. "Just keep following the path." As she moved ahead of him, his eyes wandered over her figure. She was extremely attractive, and with her blonde hair and tall, willowy figure, she was the exact opposite of how he had imagined she would look.

"Oh, I would love it if Lizzy was my neighbor," she said as she walked along. "I miss having her close by."

Charles smiled. "Your sister is great."

"She is, isn't she?" Jane agreed, laughing a little. They reached the end of the path, which opened up onto a moderately sized stretch of sand. "Oh, this would be a perfect beach if it wasn't so rocky." She let her eyes wander over the scenery, taking in the view, then turned back to look at the house through the trees. "It's so pretty."

Charles looked around him. "It is. Will has a great spot."

"Do you know him very well?" Jane asked, figuring now was a good time to dig for information on the man Elizabeth was showing interest in.

He shrugged. "Not really. I mean, we just met when he moved here a couple of weeks ago. He seems like a good guy though, like he's got his head on straight."

Jane nodded but remained silent.

"Why do you ask?" He was curious as to what she'd say, but had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Oh, um, no reason," Jane answered. "I met him Friday at the library. Lizzy had lunch with him and Jack somewhere."

Charles' eyebrows rose. "Really?"

Jane looked at him curiously, again noticing just how truly handsome he was. His blonde hair fell almost to his shoulders, and he had an amazing pair of blue eyes. "Yes, really."

"Hm. Interesting," Charles said, grinning.

"Why is that interesting?"

Charles shrugged, his lips still curved upward. "It just is."

Jane squinted her eyes at him. "I found it..._interesting_ too."

Suddenly they both started laughing, and when Charles finally spoke again, his voice was quiet. He knew what she was asking, and wanted to reassure her. "He's a nice guy, Jane."

She searched his eyes and seeing that he was being serious, she nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"So, how long are you here for?" he asked.

"Only until Tuesday. I have to tie up some loose ends at my job, and then I'll have a bit of a break until I start to work again in July."

"What do you do?"

"I'm a teacher. I have to get back to clean out my classroom, and then come July, I'll be teaching summer school."

Charles was puzzled. "Why clean out your classroom if you're going to use it again?"

She shook her head. "I'll be teaching out of a completely different school, to a completely different age group than I'm used to. It's my first time doing it, so I hope it goes well."

"What do you teach?"

Jane grinned. "Seventh-grade science."

Charles grimaced. "Ugh. Science."

Jane's mouth dropped open. "Gee, thanks for that!"

Charles laughed. "Nothing against science, honestly, but I sucked at it. Well, until we got to study reproduction and anatomy and all that in high school. That was a little better." He laughed. "I'm sure that if I had a seventh-grade teacher that looked like you, I would have been an 'A' student."

Jane laughed, but felt herself blushing. "Meaning you would have studied more? Or you would have tried to charm your way to an 'A'?"

"Meaning, I certainly would have paid more attention in class." He grinned when he saw the blush creeping up her cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Jane shook her head and smiled. "It's fine, you didn't." She could feel the heat in her face, though, and knew it was a dead giveaway. She stared out at the bay, keeping her eyes from his, and changed the subject. "Lizzy told me you make your own beer."

Charles nodded. "I do."

"And you might be opening a pub soon?"

"Actually, I _am_ opening a pub. I just signed the papers this week. I have a lot to do before I can even think of opening for business, but I'd like to be ready by Labor Day."

"And you're going to serve your own beer?"

"Yes, but other brands as well. I'll have a few popular labels – Bud, Guinness, things like that – but I'm also going to feature my own brews, as well as some others from local breweries. I also want to have good food. I want my customers to have a place to bring their families for a great meal, you know? I don't want it to just be a bar."

"That sounds great. Have you decided on a name?"

He smiled. "I think I have. I haven't told anyone yet, though."

Jane grinned and leaned towards him, whispering conspiratorially. "Your secret is safe with me."

Laughing, Charles raised his brows. "You won't tell Lizzy?"

She lifted one hand and made the motion of locking her lips, keeping them tightly shut.

"Okay. I suppose it won't be a secret for long anyway. I'm going to call it 'Black Rock Brewery'."

Jane grinned. "I like that, it has a nice ring to it." Charles smiled widely at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks. I'm working on names for the beers right now, that will take me a bit longer. They have to be just right."

"I'd love to try some while I'm here," Jane said, unable to pull her eyes away from his smiling face. "Any chance of that happening?"

He looked at her steadily. "Well, I happen to have some with me today, and of course, I always have some in my refrigerator at home."

She tilted her head. "Why don't we head back to Will's? I'd love to try some."

"Well, far be it from me to deny you anything," Charles answered, smiling slightly. "Shall we?" He gestured back to the path, and she turned slowly to walk ahead of him.

* * *

Everyone was still gathered on the deck, relaxing and enjoying conversation. Elizabeth immediately noticed the flush in Jane's cheeks upon her return, and wondered what it was all about – although she had a fairly good idea. It was part of Charles' nature to flirt with pretty women, as Elizabeth had seen time and time again, and so she assumed that a bit of flirting had probably occurred.

Maddie began to rise from her seat. "Oh, I forgot about the wings! They'll be all dried out."

"Sit, I'll get them," Will said as he rose to from the table.

"I'll help," Charles said, getting up to walk in behind him. Once inside the house, he closed the sliding door firmly and turned to Will, eyebrows raised. "Did you see Elizabeth's sister?"

Will smirked at the look of surprise on Charles' face. "Um, obviously, yes. I met her Friday, actually."

"She's – she's...hm. Jane Bennet." He shook his head slowly. "Who knew? I mean, I've heard Elizabeth talk about her before, and I know she's been here to visit, but I've never met her. She's – she's a beauty."

Will nodded and shrugged a little. "She's pretty."

"Pretty? She's drop-dead fucking gorgeous," Charles said matter-of-factly.

Will laughed as he grabbed potholders and pulled the now steaming-hot pan of wings from the oven. "She's your type, I suppose."

Charles' eyebrows rose briefly. "Maybe, but..." His voice trailed off, and he shrugged. "She's Lizzy's sister," he said with finality, before changing the subject. "Hey, speaking of _Lizzy_...she's _your_ type, huh?"

Will pondered Charles' for a moment, and thought that maybe there was a little bit more going on, perhaps something that he wasn't saying. Instead of pursuing it, however, he answered Charles' question. "I've thought about that before," Will answered, purposely being vague. "I don't think I have a type."

"Yes you _do_, and it's Lizzy. You didn't tell me you took her to lunch on Friday."

"I didn't know I was supposed to," Will answered sardonically, eyebrows raised as he set the pan on the granite counter. "Am I supposed to report in?"

Charles smiled. "Yes, you are. Absolutely. Every move. When are you going to ask the girl out already?"

"Funny you should mention that..." Will replied, grinning a little himself.

Charles grew serious. "Oh, wait, what did I miss?"

Will chuckled. "You didn't miss anything. Georgiana offered to babysit if I wanted to take Lizzy out, so...I'm thinking about asking her."

Charles slapped Will on the shoulder, hard enough to make him wince. "Do it, man! Today. Steal her away for a moment, and ask her."

Will's eyebrows rose. "Steal her away? Should I invite her upstairs to see my etchings?"

"What?" Charles asked, obviously confused. "What does that mean? It sounds perverted. No, man, just, I don't know, tell her you need help with something in the house."

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe I'm getting advice on how to ask a woman out from you."

"Why not me? I'm pretty good at it, you know," Charles said, puffing his chest out a little. "You could do worse."

Will laughed. "I suppose."

The slider opened and Caroline walked in, carrying a glass of wine. "Do you boys need help? The wings will be cold again by the time you bring them out if you keep dawdling."

"Oh, we're coming, we're coming," Charles answered. He stole a potholder from Will and lifted the pan from the counter, then looked him square in the face. "Do it," he said firmly, before turning to go back outside.

Will shook his head and looked away, grinning to himself.

Caroline moved to stand in front of him. "What is my brother ordering you to do?" she asked, smiling as she set her wine glass on the counter.

Will looked down at her, and noticing how close she was standing to him, took a small step back. "He's just – he's trying to get me to, um, broaden my horizons a bit."

Her eyebrows rose. "Broaden your horizons?" she repeated.

Will chuckled at the questionable look on her face. "Yes."

"I wouldn't say that Charles is the best one to help you do that. I don't know if anyone's horizon should be as broad as his."

Will laughed again, but chose to say nothing. He was surprised when Caroline stepped toward him and reached up to stroke one finger along his cheek and down the side of his neck.

"I, however, would be more than happy to help in that regard," she said, her voice low.

Will moved his head back slightly, but her finger followed. He reached up with one hand to grasp it lightly and move it away from his body, but still she moved closer to him.

"Caroline, I appreciate the offer, but I'm not interested," he said, again taking a step back and pushing her hand down gently.

"You don't know what I'm offering," she said quietly, now laying her hands on his chest.

He looked down in surprise, then looked back up at her face. "Um, I'm pretty sure I do."

The slider opened, and in walked Georgiana and Elizabeth, chatting away. They both froze and looked at Caroline, then Will, and Will watched with a sinking feeling in his gut as Elizabeth's eyes dropped to Caroline's hands, still resting lightly on his body. Without skipping a beat, he reached down and removed them, and keeping his voice low, spoke so only Caroline could hear him. "No thank you, Caroline."

Elizabeth's stomach flipped as she took in the scene that she and Georgiana had walked into. She was convinced that they had walked in on something; Will definitely looked annoyed at the interruption. She fought the urge to turn around and walk back outside, and instead, took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Sorry, we just came to get more napkins, and Ed wanted to know if you had any hot sauce."

"Yeah. Sorry," Georgiana repeated, looking at Will with confusion.

"Well, I'll just head back outside," Caroline said quietly, lifting her glass from the counter. She turned to face Will and spoke softly. "We can finish our conversation later."

He shook his head a little and spoke firmly but quietly. "We're already finished."

"We'll see," she answered, smiling coyly and winking at him before looking toward Elizabeth and Georgiana. "Ladies." She made her way outside, and the door closed quietly behind her.

"Um, napkins?" Elizabeth asked again. She could see, now, just how out of sorts Will had become, and her stomach plummeted further.

"Oh, yeah, in – in the cabinet behind you, in the corner. I'll – I'll get them."

"No, I've got it," she answered, relieved to be able to turn away for a moment. She took another deep breath, trying to force her stomach to calm, and opened the cabinet.

While Elizabeth's back was turned to them, Georgiana went and opened the refrigerator. "Found the hot sauce, I'm going back out." She glared at her brother and within two seconds, she was back outside, leaving Will and Elizabeth alone in the kitchen.

Elizabeth stood with a stack of napkins in her hand and faced Will. "Um, Georgiana is very nice."

Will nodded and cleared his throat, reaching up to rub his chin. "Yeah, she is, she's great."

"She's crazy about Jack."

He nodded again. "The feeling is mutual." Leaning against the counter, he shoved his hands in his pockets, if only to keep them still. "That was the biggest drawback to leaving New York. Georgie spent a lot of time with Jack, as much as she could while going to school, anyway. He misses her."

She smiled softly at him. "So do you."

Will returned her smile, albeit halfheartedly. His mind was already off of Georgiana and on to what had just happened. _What did Elizabeth think was going on when she walked in here? _He certainly didn't want her to have the wrong idea, but wasn't sure if he should just tell her, right now, that there was nothing going on between him and Caroline. The idea that she might be thinking there was absolutely mortified him. He shuffled his feet a bit and cleared his throat, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do.

Elizabeth watched Will as he fidgeted, and could see by his body language that he was uncomfortable. Because she was unsure of exactly what she had witnessed and was more than a little uncomfortable herself, she decided to just grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, and clear the air. "I'm sorry if I – if we – interrupted something when we walked in."

Will's eyes grew wide. He pulled his hands from his pockets and waved her words away. "No, no, you didn't interrupt anything," he said, shaking his head. "Well, you _did,_ but it – it was a welcome interruption, believe me." He sighed. "Very welcome."

Elizabeth groaned internally, knowing full well, now, exactly what had been happening. Charlotte had guessed that Caroline would try to get her claws into Will, and she was right. _In record time._

Will carefully looked at the expression on Elizabeth's face. "You and Caroline don't get along well, do you?"

Elizabeth's lips pursed together. "Honestly, I don't really know her all that well. I know more – more _of_ her, you could say. Which probably isn't fair, I suppose, but..." Her voice trailed off, and she shrugged. "She used to date someone that I know, someone that I consider a very good friend, and it ended on an ugly note."

"Ah," Will said. "The new junior partner?"

Elizabeth nodded. "You remember?"

"Of course I do. I could sense some tension there."

"She's never done anything to me directly – other than make some snide comments here and there, which I always get a kick out of – but we're not very much alike."

_Thank God_, Will thought, and smiled a little.

Elizabeth shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be saying anything. She probably has some very nice qualities –."

"But you can't think of any at the moment?" Will interrupted, grinning a bit.

She smiled back and tilted her head a little. "I'm trying to be diplomatic. You're not helping."

"I know, I'm causing trouble. Sorry," he said, a playful smile still on his lips. It faded quickly when he spoke again. "One thing I do know about Caroline? She's persistent."

Elizabeth lifted one eyebrow. "Really? Well, I guess I'll have to take your word for it." Obviously, he was referring to his own experiences with her, which meant that the little episode in the kitchen was probably not the first time that Caroline had tried to..._persuade_ him with her feminine wiles.

Her attention was distracted, then, by the bag that contained the wine bottles, which she spotted out of the corner of her eye. She glanced at it, then looked back at Will. "Can you just wait here a second?"

He looked at her curiously and watched as she went outside to deliver the napkins to the table, then came right back in.

"I have a sort of, um, housewarming gift for you," she said as she closed the slider behind her.

Will grinned. "You do?"

Nodding, she walked over toward the bag. "It's – it's nothing big, I just – it's something I just grabbed." Lifting the bag, she placed it on the center island.

"Love the wrapping paper," he said, fingering the brown paper bag as he tried to keep a serious expression on his face. "You shouldn't have gone to all this trouble."

Her mouth dropped open comically. "Forget it, I'm taking my gift and going home." She started to laugh as she made to grab the bag, and he reached a hand out to stop her. Somehow, they ended up holding hands, and she glanced down at their entwined fingers, then back up at him. "This seems to be happening quite a bit lately," she said quietly, though her heart was pounding so loudly, it felt like it was echoing throughout the kitchen.

"Mmm, I know," Will said as he stared into her eyes, squeezing her fingers, laced through his. "Can I open my gift now?"

"If you're not going to tease me about the wrapping paper again, yes."

He smiled and raised their joined hands a little. "Can I do it one-handed?"

Blushing, she lifted her chin a little. "Yes."

He grinned widely. "Good."

With his free hand, he reached in and pulled out the first bottle of wine, and immediately looked at the label. "Are you serious?"

"I really hope you have a good sense of humor. I couldn't resist. It's – it's just a joke. When I saw it, I couldn't help but think of when we first met and I thought – I thought you would think it was funny."

He looked at her, then down to the bottle, labeled 'Horse's Ass', then back up at her. His dimples peeked out as he began to laugh, and he set the bottle down on the counter. "I love it, it's priceless. And it's very, very appropriate, I agree."

"It no longer applies, I should tell you that."

He laughed again. "Gee, thanks. Good to know," he said, squeezing her hand again.

The second bottle that he pulled from the bag was the Honey Moon bottle, and she explained to him that the full moon – happening tomorrow night – was known as the Honey Moon.

"Maybe we should open it," he suggested.

She shrugged. "You can if you want, it's up to you."

"Hmmm...maybe not," he said, making a big show of contemplating it. "I think I'll put it in the cellar."

The last bottle was one that she chose solely for its splashes of color; the Lunar Vine Merlot, whose label was actually painted onto the bottle, instead of being stamped on paper. Bright flowers, in every shade of purple and pink, wrapped around the bottle, and the name of the wine was etched in bold white letters across the front

"This is nice," he said, looking at the design closely.

"It made me think of summer. I thought it was pretty."

"Which follows your foolproof method of choosing wine," he said as he set the bottle down.

"Exactly."

He loosened his grip on her hand, but didn't release it completely as he turned to look out the window over the sink. Jane and Charles were chatting away with Ed and Maddie, but there was no sign of Georgiana. He glanced into the yard, and wasn't surprised to see her playing with Jack and Sam. Caroline was just sitting at the table; she wasn't speaking, wasn't even looking at anyone. She seemed to be staring toward the slider.

Will turned back to Elizabeth. "Would you like to see the legendary wine cellar?"

Elizabeth smiled. "I'd love to. Will anyone miss us?"

"I don't think so, come on." He placed the three bottles back into the bag and carried them with him, leading her down into the basement by the hand, and over into the room that held the wine racks. Finally, he released his hold on her as he opened the door and reached to turn on the light. He gestured for her to walk in ahead of him.

"Wow," she said, taking in the sight of the large, empty racks, separated into different areas of the room, some temperature controlled, some not. "This is huge, much bigger than I thought it would be."

Will chuckled. "It would probably be more impressive if there was actually some wine in it."

Elizabeth giggled. "Well, now you have three bottles, so it won't look so...bare."

He lifted the bottles from the bag, one at a time, and stored them in their proper places. Standing back, he rolled his eyes as he looked at them. "You're right, it looks much more impressive now."

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, it's a beginning, at least," she said, nudging him with her arm as she continued to look around the room. "Everything has to start somewhere, right?"

_Everything has to start somewhere_. The words got caught in his mind; it was almost as if it was a cue, a message telling him to follow through, _do it_.

He cleared his throat. "That's what I've been thinking lately." She looked at him curiously, and it was obvious from her expression that she didn't understand his meaning. He swallowed roughly as he felt the nerves in his stomach jump to life. "What I mean is, I've thought about – I've wondered if – if we could, maybe, start. Something."

Elizabeth's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Start something?"

Will sighed and looked down, lifting one hand to rub his forehead. "Sorry, that was horrible."

"Not necessarily. It depends."

He looked up at her again, surprised to see her eyes shining teasingly at him. "On what?"

"On what the something is."

He smiled softly and shook his head.

"Try again," Elizabeth said quietly, keeping her eyes trained on his, trying not to let her nerves get the best of her. She knew what he was going to say, or ask; at least, she _thought_ she knew, and Lord, she hoped she wasn't wrong.

Will took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you to go out with me," he said, taking both of her hands in his, "some night. Soon. Tomorrow? Tuesday?"

She laughed softly at his eagerness, even though her stomach was jumping wildly. "Would this be a date?"

He looked at her and tilted his head. "Yeah, of course. Wasn't – isn't that obvious?"

She shrugged, still smiling. "I just wanted to make sure."

"Yes, it would be a date. I'll take you to the finest restaurant on Great Diamond Island," he said, barely containing his smile, causing her to laugh.

"The _only_ restaurant on Great Diamond Island."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," he answered quietly, still grinning. "So, yes?"

She nodded. "Yes, I would love to go to dinner with you."

He smiled down at her and squeezed her hands, and Elizabeth watched as his gaze moved from her eyes to her lips, then back up to her eyes again. Instantly she felt her face flush; she knew that he wanted to kiss her, and her stomach lurched madly in response. Her body swayed lightly toward his, through no conscious effort on her part, but he noticed. His head began to lower toward hers, and her heart began to thunder in her chest as heat flamed in her cheeks.

"Dad! Are you down there?"

Jack's voice boomed down the stairs, causing Will to lift his head suddenly. Elizabeth, already slightly off balance, nearly fell into him, and released his hands to grab his upper arms for balance.

Will turned his head toward the stairs, at the same time reaching to hold Elizabeth's waist, helping her to keep her balance. "Yeah, yes, I am. Um, I'll be right up, buddy."

"Is 'Lizabeth there too?"

"Yes, I – we're just looking at the wine cellar, we'll be – we'll be right there." He turned to look down into her face, and nearly groaned aloud when he saw her expression. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed to a light pink. She looked very, very kissable, and the way she was looking at him...

His thoughts were stopped short by the sound of two sets of feet pounding down the stairs into the cellar, and they released each other as Sam wandered in, followed by Jack.

"Aw, cool! What's this place?" Sam asked, looking around in wonder.

"It's a wine cellar," Jack said matter-of-factly. "Hey, Dad, you have wine in it now." He stared at the racks. "Three bottles."

Will grinned. "Elizabeth brought them as a gift."

"Oh. Are you gonna cook soon? We're hungry."

"Yes, in a few minutes. Go on up, I'll be right there."

The boys dashed back up the stairs, and Will turned to Elizabeth to see her laughing lightly. "Sorry about that," he said.

Elizabeth felt herself blushing again. "Don't apologize, it's fine."

Without thinking much about it, he reached up to stroke her cheek, relishing the smooth surface of her skin beneath his fingers. He let them wander down her jaw, to her chin, and back up to stroke along her cheek again.

"I've wanted to do this since we spent the day at the beach," he said, his voice rough as he watched the movement of his hand as it traced lightly over her face.

"It feels nice," she whispered. He was touching her so softly, but even so, her cheek was tingling at the contact, and once again, her stomach was fluttering and her heart was pounding.

Their gazes stayed locked and Will nodded, but didn't speak. Instead, he took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly. He wanted to kiss her, so badly, but now that he'd had a moment to think about it, he decided it wasn't the right time. First of all, he didn't want their first kiss to be here, in his cellar; second of all, he wanted to be careful, and not rush things – for his benefit as well as hers.

He lowered his hand slowly and reached for one of hers, giving it a gentle tug. "Come on, let's go back up." When they arrived back in the kitchen, he stopped her before they went outside and turned her to face him.

"When?" he asked quietly.

She knew what he was asking, and smiled up at him. "Tuesday?"

He nodded, returning her smile. "Tuesday."

* * *

_So, Will asked Elizabeth, Charles met Jane, and Caroline made a play for Will. Any thoughts? I'd love to hear them. Thanks!_


	13. Chapter 12

_Here we go...getting ready for the date, but not quite there yet. Thank you for reading and leaving a review/comment, I really appreciate it! And thanks to my excellent betas, Mariana and Jan, for all the work they do. _

_I'm also going to make a plea for your assistance; some of the chapters, when they get posted, end up with sentences that are jumbled or are obviously missing a few words. I do proof the 'document' before it gets posted here, and I think it gets jumbled after, because the mistakes are never there when I proof. So, with that in mind...if you ever notice anything like that, please let me know! Thank you!_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

After their company had left and everything was cleaned up, Will kissed Jack goodnight. He was freshly bathed, and Will took a moment to inhale his clean scent as he hugged him tightly.

_I'll never tire of that smell_, he thought, _or of these hugs_.

Georgiana went upstairs with Jack to tuck him in, as he had requested. Jack was exhausted; they never did have another squirt gun battle, but just the same, he and Sam had only stopped running and playing long enough to eat. The Gardiners had generously offered to give Sam a ride home, and after checking to make sure Jess was there to be with him, Will had sent him on his way.

Will sank down onto the couch and took a deep breath, enjoying the silence for a few moments. His thoughts wandered to Elizabeth, and how he had been on the verge of asking her to stay a little longer. He hadn't wanted to say goodnight to her, and would have loved a little more time just to sit and talk, preferably alone. Smiling to himself, he thought of the bottle of wine she'd bought him. _Horse's Ass_. She obviously enjoyed teasing him, and he was more than willing to let her do it, just for the sheer pleasure of watching her eyes light up when she laughed at him.

Briefly, he thought of the way she had looked at him when she had walked into the house, only to find Caroline pawing at him. _No light in those beautiful eyes then,_ he thought. Instead, there was only confusion, and it had bothered him immensely. She'd tried to hide it, the disappointment and bewilderment that had flickered across her expression, but he saw it. The last thing he wanted was for there to be _any_ confusion in her mind as to who he wanted to spend time with – _or_ whose hands he wanted pawing at him.

To say he was relieved when she asked him about it would be an understatement; even if she hadn't, though, he knew he would have brought it up before the end of the night. He wouldn't have let her go on thinking that she had seen something that she really hadn't.

He had come so close to kissing her – twice – and now with their upcoming date, he knew that the opportunity would more than likely present itself again. If Jack and Sam hadn't interrupted them when they did, he would have kissed her, right then. In his cellar. Shaking his head, he mentally berated himself. _Nothing like sneaking away from the adults to steal a kiss. What am I, sixteen again? _God knows he'd had to do his fair share of sneaking around back then, but those days had long since ended.

Georgiana came back downstairs to join him, and laughed as she sat down on the couch, at the opposite end from her brother. "He asked me to read to him. I didn't even get to page six, and he was out cold."

Will smiled. "Isn't that great? I love that he plays so hard that he's exhausted at the end of the day. I swear, it's all this fresh Maine air."

"_I'm _exhausted!" Georgiana said, smirking slightly. "It was fun running around with him and Sam, and not sitting at the table with all the grown-ups."

"Mm, I'm sure," Will replied, grinning at her.

"Your friends are very nice. Maddie and Ed are just too funny. She's so outspoken and candid, and he just sits and watches her with this look of total adoration on his face."

Will nodded. "I know, they're great people. I lucked out when I landed Maddie as my agent. She just had a sense for what I was looking for," he said, as he glanced around the living room. "I mean, look at this place. I never thought I would feel so at home in such a short period of time."

"It's beautiful, and I can tell Jack loves it. Oh, and we're building a fort this week? Is that true?"

Will groaned. "Well, not necessarily. The lumber is coming on Tuesday afternoon, so I told him there was a chance we could start it on Wednesday, but I didn't make any promises."

"Why not? I think we should do it. I bet we could get it done in one day if we set our minds to it."

Will shrugged. "Possibly, but remember, this is me you're talking about. I'm not very handy with tools."

Georgiana sighed. "Jack said you had the plans, we just have to follow them, step by step. Maybe Charles could help."

He shook his head. "No, he's got too much on his plate now."

"Oh yeah, that's probably true. Did you watch him and Jane at all today?"

"Um, a bit, but not much. Why?" Will was curious about what she would say, though he had a feeling he knew already.

"God, the electricity coming off of them could have lit up a city! Lots of sparks there. Lots."

Will nodded. "He did mention to me that he thought she was pretty."

Georgiana's brows rose slightly. "That doesn't surprise me. And all Caroline did was frown, at them _and_ at Elizabeth. I couldn't figure her out." Suddenly her eyes opened wide. "Oh! You _have_ to tell me what was going on in the kitchen with you and Caroline when I walked in with Elizabeth! I completely forgot about that."

Groaning, Will dropped his head back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. "Nothing. Nothing was going on. It looked awful, didn't it?" He raised his head again to look at his sister. "Did it look like we were in the middle of..._something?_ God, that was embarrassing."

"She had her hands on you, so something was going on."

"No, she was _trying_ to get something going on, but I wasn't interested, I'm_ not i_nterested. Not in her."

Georgiana spoke seriously. "Honestly, Will, you didn't look like you were in the throes of a romantic embrace, believe me. Actually, you looked like you had just eaten something that didn't agree with you, and she looked like she was kind of clinging to you."

Will chuckled. "Great."

"You and Elizabeth were gone for a while after that." She grinned at him expectantly.

He ignored her questioning look. "Yeah, I showed her the wine cellar. Did – did anyone say anything about us disappearing?"

"Well, I was in the yard with the boys, but I did hear Caroline ask everyone what was taking the two of you so long. She was going to go back into the house, but Charles told her that you had some old books that you wanted Lizzy to look at, because you thought they were antiques."

Will's mouth dropped open, and he started laughing. "Charles said that? Oh, he's quick. Good man."

"Caroline didn't talk a whole lot after that, not that I could hear. She kind of glared at the house until you came back outside."

"Yeah, well, she made up for her lack of talking during dinner, didn't she?"

Georgiana laughed, and turned her body to pull her legs up and under her at the end of the couch, settling in comfortably. "God, she didn't shut up! She was trying so hard to monopolize your attention."

Will grimaced. "She was also trying to monopolize my left leg with her hand." _I wasn't wrong when I said she was persistent._

"Eww."

"Exactly. When Elizabeth and I were alone, she sort of asked me if you and she had interrupted anything when you walked in, and I'm glad that she did. I don't want her to think I'm playing some sort of game with her."

"Did you get around to asking her out?"

Will smiled broadly. "I did, we're going out on Tuesday night. If you're still willing to hang out with Jack, that is."

"Stupid question, of course I am. We'll watch a movie and have popcorn and build tents." She winked. "I won't even give you a curfew."

He chuckled. "That's generous of you." After a moment, he spoke again. "Listen, not to change the subject, but you haven't said anything about what's going on with you and Dad. Do you want to talk about it?"

Georgiana sighed as her eyes briefly flicked away from her brother. "It's nothing huge – at least not to me. I told him I wasn't sure about school anymore."

Will's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "I thought you loved school."

"Oh, I do, I do. I love the _idea_ of being there, I love going to classes and all that, I've made some great friends. Basically, it's not school itself, it's what I'm studying. It was automatically assumed – even by me – that I would study business so that I could take my place at DMG when the time came."

"Like me, like Richard." He watched as she nodded. "You know, I never asked you either, I just thought you were okay with doing that, studying business."

"I _was _okay with it, initially, but once my classes started, and I really began to understand what I would be doing, I just – I was completely uninterested in all of it."

"Is there something else you'd rather be studying?"

She shook her head. "I haven't decided yet. My focus has been on a business major for so long...is it selfish of me to want to do something else?"

Will shook his head adamantly. "Not at all." He sighed. "One thing I've learned, G, is that you have to do what makes you happy, go after what you want, what it is that's going to give you the most joy in life. Even if it's not what other people want for you, like Dad."

"He accused me of wanting to be a 'layabout socialite' whose sole purpose for existence was to spend his money."

Will's mouth dropped open, and he started to chuckle. "You? A layabout, maybe, but a socialite?" He laughed as Georgiana stretched out a leg to kick him lightly. "No way, that's not you. Although, God knows you can shop, I've seen proof of it."

Georgiana kicked him again. "I'm trying to be serious, Fitzwilliam," she said, even though she was beginning to smile.

"I know, and I wouldn't make light of it, if it wasn't so absurd." He paused. "You just need to take some time to figure out what it is you want to do, that's all. Don't let Dad push you into a corner."

"Is that what he did to you? Did you really want to go into the family business, or were you just – I don't know, guided forcefully down that path as well?"

Will chuckled at her choice of words. "Guided forcefully? Not really. I _did_ want to work for Dad, I wanted to immerse myself in the business, and be part of the next generation to carry on with it. I never resented the assumption that it was what I would do. I wanted it just as much as he did."

Georgiana looked confused. "I don't understand. If that's the case, then why is there so much conflict between the two of you? I mean, for as long as I can remember, you've been at each others' throats. Why?"

Will sighed. "You were young when everything started between us, it was a long time ago. It's kind of complicated."

"But I want to know." She looked at him for a long moment, then spoke softly. "It's because of Anne, isn't it?"

Will nodded. "He said it was because of Anne, but it was really all because of him and his elitist attitude. He thought she was beneath me; the DeBourghs weren't good enough for the Darcys. He never wanted me to like her, never mind fall in love with her. And then to get her pregnant and marry her? Not in his plans for me, not at all."

Georgiana's eyes widened. "What do you mean, get her pregnant and marry her? Don't you mean marry her, then get her pregnant?"

His eyebrows rose as he looked at his sister. "I – no, I mean get her pregnant, _then_ marry her. You didn't know that Anne was pregnant already with Jack when we got married?"

"Will, I was thirteen when you married Anne, I was clueless. Apparently, I still am."

"You never did the math?"

"No, I just – I never had any reason to even _think_ about the math, I never put any thought into it at all, I just assumed that she got pregnant after you got married."

Will shook his head. "Listen, despite how it sounds, it wasn't what you might be thinking, not at all. Anne and I loved each other, and had already talked about getting married. We were surprised by the news, but after the shock wore off, we were happy about it. Very happy. We just – we sped our plans up a bit, that's all."

"Oh."

Will let the knowledge sink in with her before he continued. "Did you know that her father used to work for DMG?"

Georgiana thought for a moment. "I vaguely remember that, I think. Where did he work?"

"He was one of Dad's accountants. They grew up together in Brooklyn."

"So that's how you met Anne?"

Will nodded. "Yes and no. It's not like Dad socialized with the DeBourghs, that never happened. Like I said, Louis was an accountant, one of several. Dad hired him, and I'm sure the fact that they grew up together had something to do with that, but...that's as far as their relationship went. It was work. Dad was the boss, Louis was the employee, period. I met Anne at a company picnic that Dad made me go to. I grumbled about going, but he said that it wouldn't do for the company president's children not to go. You were there too, though you probably don't remember, you were only five or so."

Georgiana shook her head. "I don't remember it at all."

"Anyway, to make a long story short, I fell for her instantly." His mind drifted for a moment as he thought back to that warm spring day when they met. "She didn't go to the same high school as me, but we started dating. Dad found out about it, of course, and forbid me from seeing her...which only pushed me to see her more. I snuck out at night, lied about going to visit friends on weekends, skipped school..." He chuckled when he saw Georgiana's eyes widen. "I got caught a few times, and Dad was _not_ pleased, believe me. But hey, I was a teenage boy dealing with his first crush, his first big love, is that surprising?"

"It is a _little_, yes." She laughed at the thought of him sneaking around. "I can't imagine you doing all those things."

"I did. Dad was convinced that my going away to college would be the end of my 'childish romance', as he used to call it." He rolled his eyes. "At first, he didn't know that while I was at Columbia, Anne was a stone's throw away at Wagner College. I used to take the Staten Island Ferry to see her all the time, or she'd come to see me. When he finally caught wind of it – from Richard, I later found out – he fired me."

"_Richard_ told him?" She paused. "Wait, how could he fire you? You were still in college."

"DMG was my second home. I worked there during school breaks and over the summers; he knew what he was doing when he fired me. He wanted to scare me, and have me believe that when I finished school, I'd join the ranks of the unemployed new graduates, all looking for work."

Will thought of that day, when he had found out about what Richard had done and had confronted him. It had started out as a shouting match, but had quickly turned physical. Even thinking about it now made his pulse race, although he and Richard had made peace – or rather, had _tried_ to make peace – since then.

His voice took on a harder edge. "And yes, it was Richard. I didn't know for the longest time just who it was that had been filling Dad in on what Anne and I were up to, and I never once suspected it was Richard. There I was, confiding in him about Anne, telling him everything...and he was turning around and reporting everything back to Dad."

Georgiana's jaw dropped. "That's horrible, I can't believe Richard betrayed you like that."

"Richard is a whole other story, believe me, and not one that I want to get into." He blew out a long breath and continued. "Anyway, Anne's father ended up getting fired. He was accused of embezzling from DMG."

Georgiana looked shocked. "He stole money?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know." He paused for a moment and shook his head. "No, I don't believe he did. I think Dad and some of his cronies set it up to look that way. I think that he thought it would be something that would drive Anne and me apart. How could I disgrace my family by dating the daughter of the man who was stealing our livelihood, right? But it didn't matter, not at all. Louis always claimed he was innocent of any wrongdoing, and honestly, the way that Anne's family lived, it was clear he wasn't stealing anything. They lived very modestly."

Georgiana frowned, and it was obvious that she was distressed by what her brother had just revealed. "I can't believe that Dad would do that, that he would purposely hurt someone like that."

Will remained silent, as he was well aware of what his father was capable of. After a moment of contemplation, Georgiana continued.

"I know Louis is gone now, but where is Catherine? You don't talk about her very much."

"She's in a nursing facility in upstate New York, near her sister. She has Lewy Body Dementia. The diagnosis came about a month before Anne's accident. After Louis passed, Catherine moved in with her sister, but as the disease progressed, her sister couldn't care for her anymore. I went to visit Catherine a couple of times, with Jack, but the last time I called, her sister advised me not to come. I suppose it's just a matter of time now."

"Oh, that's just horrible."

Will nodded sadly. "It is. Anne was an only child, and to say that they doted on her would be an understatement. They were all very close."

"What did they think about you and Anne?" Now that Georgiana understood what was behind Will's discord with their father, she wanted to know more.

"They were fine with us, they knew how we felt about each other, even though we were both still young. I mean, Louis had made it abundantly clear to me that if things got out of hand, if Dad ever made Anne's life difficult, he wouldn't keep silent. But he didn't need to worry, I'd never have let Dad get close enough to Anne to hurt her."

Georgiana smiled softly. "You protected her?"

"Of course I did," Will said seriously. "Anyway, after I graduated, Dad relented and rehired me. I think he realized that if I hadn't come begging for a job by then, I wasn't going to. When Anne ended up pregnant, he fired me again."

Georgiana rolled her eyes. "Is that, like, his go-to reaction? You tick him off, he fires you?"

Will laughed. "It is, exactly. I'm amazed that I can laugh about it, but really, that's all I can do." He turned serious again. "Of course, after Anne died, he figured it wouldn't hurt to hire me back. God forbid he leave his grieving widower son unemployed. How would _that _look?"

"Will –."

He waved a hand. "It's fine, I get him now. I understand what motivates him, and it's nothing remotely paternal, believe me."

"Why didn't you just say no? Why did you keep going back?"

Will shrugged. "I wanted to work for DMG. I knew everything about it, _loved _everything about it...and honestly? It was something familiar for me to hold onto. I was lost for a while after Anne died, and that job was something concrete that I could focus on. Plus, I knew that someday, Dad would retire, and it would be mine."

He paused and looked at his sister. "I know that sounds incredibly greedy, but it wasn't just the money I was thinking about. It was – it was something that was ours, the Darcys'. I was proud of it, proud of what my grandfather had started, and what Dad had continued to build on. Part of me resented the business, I suppose, because of what kind of man it had turned our father into, but still...there was something about it being a legacy, something handed down. I wanted to be a part of that, and I really felt that I could do it just as well as Dad, but at the same time, do it differently. Be a different kind of man."

"And maybe Jack would be a part of it too someday?"

Will shrugged again. "Maybe, if he wanted to be. Dad has already started calling Jack 'the heir', the one to continue on the legacy. That's why he fired me again. I was taking _the heir_ away from New York, away from the hub of it all, away from his rightful home."

Georgiana shook her head slightly and thought for a minute. "Did Dad ever express remorse, or regret, or anything, about Anne?"

Will gave a short, sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, he did, in his own way." Will knew that this was where his 'story' would end. There were more things that happened between his father and himself, but nothing that he would tell Georgiana. It was between him, his father – and Richard. He decided to change the topic back to her. "Okay, enough about me and Dad. So, you really have no idea what you want to study? There's nothing at all that you're interested in?"

Georgiana shrugged. "Oh, there's plenty that I'm interested in, I just – I can't decide. It has to be something I want to do for the rest of my life, right? I'm not going to rush into anything." She paused. "What are _you_ going to do now?"

"Enjoy my summer off with Jack." _And hopefully Elizabeth too. _"You and I both know I don't need to work. Not ever again, if I don't want to."

"So you get to be the layabout, is that what you're saying?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so." His expression turned serious. "I meant what I said before, G, our door is always open to you. If Dad gives you a hard time, or puts too much pressure on you...you know you can come here whenever you want."

Tilting her head, she smiled a little at his protectiveness. "I know that, thanks. And _now_," she said, clapping her hands together, "you need to concentrate on Tuesday night! You're actually doing it, you're going out on a date!"

Will's stomach lurched when she said the words, and he looked at her helplessly.

"Don't look so terrified! You'll be fine," she said quietly.

He exhaled loudly. "I'm just – I'm a little nervous, I guess. I haven't been on a first date in a really, really long time, and I don't want to screw it up."

"You won't screw it up, don't think like that," she said, nudging him lightly with her foot. She paused for a moment before speaking again. "I'm proud of you, you know."

He raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Georgiana looked at her brother closely, seeing the question in his eyes. "Hearing you talk about Anne, telling me everything that happened between you and Dad...I know how much you loved her, and I know how hard it's been for you to do that, to just talk about her. It seems to be getting easier."

Will's voice was quiet when he spoke. "It is easier. It doesn't hurt anymore to talk about her, or even to think about her, not like it used to. I mean, she's always going to be a part of me, she's – she's half of Jack, you know?" He smiled at the thought of his son. "But now...I'm ready to move on. I _want_ to move on, I want to start living my life again. I know that Anne would want me to be happy...so, that's what I'm doing, I'm just – I'm going after some happiness, and I feel like I finally have an idea of where to find it."

He took a deep breath. "So yeah, I'm really doing it, I'm going out on a date." A broad smile began to grow on his face, even as his stomach lurched again. "With Elizabeth."

* * *

"Lunch?"

"Yes, lunch. I thought that maybe we could meet at his new pub, or brewery, or whatever it is."

Elizabeth turned and looked at Jane in surprise. "You realize his little pub – or whatever it is – is pretty much in a shambles at the moment, right? It's not open, it's not functioning. He has no food to make lunch with."

Jane smiled. "I know, so I suggested getting takeout. I thought that since you were going to be at work, it would be a nice way to pass the time." She paused for a moment. "He said no, in any case. He didn't accept the invitation."

Elizabeth, a glass of wine in each hand, walked back to the couch where Jane was sitting and joined her. They had returned to Elizabeth's house just a short while ago, after leaving Will's cookout. She handed Jane one of the glasses and spoke hesitantly.

"So...was it a _friendly_ invitation, or were you hoping for something more?" She had noticed her sister paying a lot of attention to Charles during the evening, and had watched as the two had talked quite a bit.

"Well, obviously, 'something more' probably isn't a good idea, I leave in two days. If I was staying longer, though..." Jane's voice trailed off, and she shrugged – and smiled.

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, a little surprised.

Jane looked at her sister in exasperation. "Yes, really. We seemed to hit it off, and I thought he was flirting with me when we went for that walk..." She shrugged. "I guess not. And what's with all the questions? I thought you liked Charles?"

"I do, he's a great guy, but..."

"But what?"

Elizabeth thought about Kate, and what had happened between her and Charles just a few days ago, and wondered if it was something she should tell Jane about. Ultimately, she chose not to, since Jane would be leaving the island in two days anyway. "Charles _is_ great, he's really a fantastic guy, and a great friend, but...he's a flirt. It's, like, part of his genetic make-up I think."

Jane smirked. "He's a flirt? Or is he a player?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly. "No, I wouldn't call him a player. But...he's had his share of girlfriends...some that he seems to be having a hard time breaking things off with. Completely." _Well, __really, only one that I can think of._

Jane pursed her lips and nodded, understanding Elizabeth's meaning. "I appreciate you telling me that. It was just lunch anyway. I mean, he's easy on the eyes, and he's fun to talk to. I love his hair, the way it's all shaggy and long. And those eyes...ugh. He's hot." She laughed when she saw Elizabeth roll her eyes. "I can't believe you turned him down when he asked you out. Come on, you _know_ he's hot, admit it."

"Yes, he is, he's extremely good looking, I have no problem admitting that, not at all."

"So why did you turn him down?"

"You _know_ why, Jane. I hadn't even been here six months, I was _not_ ready to date someone. And I'm glad I did say no, because if I had gone out with him, we might not be friends now. Who knows what would have happened?"

Jane nodded. "That's true." She paused for a moment, then wiggled her eyebrows at her sister. "You know who else is really hot?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said, grinning. Feeling her face begin to warm, she took a sip of wine to try and hide it before speaking again. "Will."

Jane smiled widely and giggled. "He looked so bummed out when you were leaving tonight. I swear, he wanted to kiss you. If we weren't all standing there, he probably would have tried."

Elizabeth's mind wandered to their almost-kiss in the wine cellar, and she felt her stomach jump. "Maybe," she said softly.

"Hm. Maybe? Not maybe, _definitely_. Tell me what happened when you were in the house! I had to restrain myself from running to the slider and peeking inside."

"We just talked a little. When I first went in with Georgie, Caroline was kind of hanging on him. It was awkward."

"Caroline was hanging on him?" A light bulb went off in Jane's head. "_That's_ why she kept staring at the house when you two were missing. She's got the hots for him."

"Apparently." She shrugged. "I asked him straight out if Georgie and I had interrupted anything, and he said it wasn't what it looked like."

"Do you believe him?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I do. He said she's persistent, so obviously, it's not the first time that she's made, um, overtures toward him."

"Hm. Well, looking at that house, I'm assuming he has money. That's a big draw for her, isn't it? She's the one that screwed over Charlotte's brother, right?"

"The one and only."

"I remember that story. Her reputation precedes her. So, what else?"

"Well, I gave him the wine, so he offered to show me the wine cellar."

"Oh, did he get the whole 'Horse's Ass' thing? I hope he laughed about it."

Elizabeth chuckled. "He did, he has a good sense of humor, especially about himself. I made sure he understood that it was a reference to the past, not the present. He was fine, he can take a tease." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, when we were down there, he asked me out to dinner."

Jane's eyes opened wide, and she nearly choked on her wine. "He did? He asked you out?"

Elizabeth nodded and slowly took another sip from her glass, trying again to hide what was now surely a prominent redness in her cheeks. "Yes. We're going to dinner on Tuesday night."

"Lizzy, that's fantastic! He seems very nice, and then of course there's the hotness factor."

"Ohhh, he's got it."

"In spades."

They both started laughing, and it was a long moment before they were quiet again.

"So, you're ready for this?" Jane asked quietly.

Elizabeth looked puzzled. "Ready for what?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Don't be obtuse. Ready for _this_, the date, the act of dating, being involved, seeing someone, having a relationship...all of that."

Elizabeth laughed. "Can I get through the dinner first? I just want to make it through the evening without spontaneously combusting, that's my goal. I'm already nervous, and it's two days away."

"Are you going to tell him about Bill? Or George?" Jane asked, her eyebrows knit together.

"Well, no, not Tuesday night! Geez, Jane, don't you think you're putting the cart before the horse?"

Jane shrugged. "I don't know. What if he asks? Are you going to ask him about his wife?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. I don't know. God, it's our first date, will you give me a break? It might be our last date too, for all I know. We could make each other miserable, and not say a word through the entire dinner."

"You? Not say a word? Pfft."

Elizabeth reached out and slapped her sister's arm lightly. "Shut up. It's possible that we'll have nothing to say to each other, and the whole night will suck, and we'll never want to see each other again."

"Not likely. As much as I looked like I wasn't noticing what was going on with you two, I was. He stared at you constantly."

Elizabeth grinned a little. "He was observing," she said, mostly to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Well, whatever he was doing, he was doing a lot of it. Whenever Caroline wasn't forcing him to talk to her, that is. God, she annoyed the shit out of me. Why did Will even invite her?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "She's Charles' sister, and he hasn't met many other people."

"Introduce him to your friends, broaden his social circle."

"Once again, can I get past dinner first?" Elizabeth shook her head again, but smiled at her sister. "You are unbearable at times, you know that? Pushy, pushy, pushy."

"I know, that's why you love me. I'm _very_ pushy, but in a good way. You need to be pushed."

Elizabeth laughed. "No, I don't. I'm perfectly capable of pushing myself when the need arises."

"The need has arisen."

"So, what do you want to do tomorrow night?" Elizabeth said, purposely changing the subject. "Maybe I'll see if Charlotte is off, I know Mary is. I think Kate has to work." _Probably a good thing_, she thought. The last thing she would need is Jane possibly mentioning Charles in front of Kate.

"Smooth, very smooth. I see what you just did there," Jane said, narrowing her eyes, letting Elizabeth know that she was well-aware of her diversion tactics. "But yes, I think a night out with the girls would be fun."

Elizabeth nodded. "Me too. Friday night was crazy, huh? I haven't talked to Charlotte or Kate all weekend, I wonder what happened after we left them at Ri Ra."

"I'm sure we'll hear all about it tomorrow night."

It was quiet for a moment, and Elizabeth sighed deeply, staring off at nothing. Her thoughts inevitably traveled back to Will and their almost-kiss. She didn't want to tell Jane about it, preferring to keep it to herself. Even though nothing had happened, the remembrance of it, of that feeling of anticipation, made her heart pound madly in her chest again, and she didn't want to expose that feeling, not yet.

"Stop, Lizzy," Jane said quietly.

Elizabeth startled. "Stop – stop what?"

"Stop being nervous. Your face is all flushed, I can tell you're thinking about it."

"Oh, yeah. I know. Um, I'll stop."

"Just be yourself, that's who Will likes, that's who Will wants to take out."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "I know. I don't know how to be anyone else, frankly. I couldn't possibly pretend to be a different person, it requires way too much effort."

Jane laughed. "You're absolutely right." For a split-second, George Wickham flashed into Jane's thoughts, the angry words he had said to Elizabeth - _"you're damaged, just like me"_ - reverberating through her mind. God, she hated that man and what he had done to her sister. "Will knows a good thing when he sees it."

Elizabeth smiled softly. "Thanks Jane." Her eyes dropped to her lap, focusing on her hands as they held the wine glass, swirling the deep red liquid slowly. "Do I know a good thing when I see it, though?"

Jane look surprised. "Of course you do."

Elizabeth kept her eyes lowered. "That's a pretty bold statement considering my track record, don't you think?"

Jane sighed. "Lizzy, come on. Bill fooled all of us. No, I take that back; he didn't fool _any_ of us, he _changed_. The man you married was an entirely different person from the one who is sitting in prison right now. You said it yourself; the first few months were fine, and then his whole personality altered."

Elizabeth nodded, finally raising her eyes to her sister's. "Drastically."

"And George...he was your friend for so long, and he betrayed you. That was his doing, not yours. You never saw signs of the person he was inside."

"You did."

Jane shrugged. "I just had a vague feeling about him as we got older, but you know as well as I do that all the times we talked about it, I could never put my finger on what it was that bothered me about him. It was just a feeling."

"A good one that I should have listened to, obviously."

Jane watched her sister, and took in the expression on her face. It was one of insecurity, of doubt, but not defeat, not pain. "What are you thinking?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know. What if I'm wrong?" She paused. "Any vague feelings about Will you'd care to share?"

Jane nodded. "Yes, actually. I think he's one of the good guys." She shrugged. "I don't know why I have that feeling, but I do. His sister is very nice, that says a lot, and you can see that they're close – all three of them, actually. I watched Will when he was interacting with Jack, he has so much patience with him. I just – I think he's okay."

Elizabeth absorbed everything Jane had just said, and knew that she was right. She thought back to her conversation with Will, when they were on the beach, and how he'd said he was comfortable with her, and could let his guard down with her, almost as if they'd know each other for longer than they really had. She felt the same way, honestly; there was a certain _rightness_ to all of it. A rightness to _him_.

"What's going through your head?" Jane asked, interrupting her musings.

"I was thinking that you're right, Will knows a good thing when he sees it," she said, smiling softly and lifting her chin a little, making Jane laugh, "and I think I do too."

* * *

Will stood at the ferry dock on Tuesday morning, waiting to board, bouncing on his heels a little. His eyes scanned the small crowd, searching for Elizabeth. Finally he found her, coming across the dirt parking lot, slowly heading toward the docks. She held an open book in front of her, only paying half-attention to where she was walking.

He made his way toward her, positioning himself in her path so that she had no choice but to bump into him.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't –." She looked up, and her contrite frown grew into a smile as she realized just who she'd plowed into. "Will! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

He chuckled. "I couldn't resist. You know, you're a danger to people, walking around with your nose buried in a book. If you're not careful, you'll walk right off the pier."

"Well, I'm more of a danger to myself then, aren't I? Besides, I'm a good swimmer, so no worries there. What are you doing down here?" She took her backpack from her shoulder and opened it to put her book away. Before she had a chance to hoist the heavy bag back onto her shoulder, Will had taken it from her and put it over his own shoulder.

"I'm headed over to do some shopping. Georgie gave me the option of leaving Jack at home, and of course when I asked him what he wanted to do, he didn't hesitate to pick staying home with her over going to the grocery store with me."

"I'm sure it was a _very_ tough decision," she said with mock seriousness. The surge of happiness she had felt at seeing him standing in front of her had taken her by surprise, but she didn't fight it. A smile broke out on her face as she took in his appearance: cargo shorts, t-shirt – filled out admirably by a set of broad shoulders – and flip-flops. _Jane was right. Hot._

"Mm, I'm sure it wasn't," he answered, staring down at her. Her dark brown eyes were bright as she looked up at him, and her growing smile was infectious. He found himself smiling back at her, and realized that they probably looked ridiculous, standing in the middle of the ferry lot, grinning like fools. Glancing up, he noticed that people were now boarding, and gave her arm a little nudge. "Come on, I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose at him as they started to walk toward the dock. "You don't want ferry coffee, trust me. I know where we can get a cup in Portland though. If you have time, that is."

"I'm not on a schedule, I don't have a job to get to."

Elizabeth glanced at her watch. "I have time, I always give myself a few extra minutes in case I make a detour into the bakery. It's hard to just walk right by when all the smells are drifting outside...I don't have a lot of willpower when it comes to that stuff."

They made their way up to the top deck of the ferry, deciding to sit outside in the sunshine instead of inside at a table. Will folded himself into a seat, his knees bent high and nearly coming into contact with the seat in front of him.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Can you fit?"

"Barely."

"How tall are you, anyway?"

"Six-two. And a half."

She laughed again. "Does the half really matter?" Feeling somewhat bold, she lifted his left hand from where it rested on his muscular thigh, and held her right hand up to it so that their palms were together. Each of his fingers reached at least an inch, if not more, beyond the tips of hers. "These things are like paws, I don't know if you can really call them hands."

Will quickly laced his hand with hers and held it tightly, unwilling to let go, and looked at her small, delicate fingers, bare of any jewelry, the short nails perfectly shaped and painted a pale pink. He turned to look at her, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

"It doesn't matter what you call them," he said softly, "they still fit perfectly with yours, see?" He lifted their joined hands to place a kiss on the back of hers. "That's all that matters."

Elizabeth felt her face flush, and she turned away from him for a moment to get her bearings. She heard his quiet laughter, and before she could think of something to say, he spoke again, choosing to change the subject, obviously for her benefit.

"Isn't Jane leaving today? I'm surprised she's not with you."

She gave a short laugh. "Oh, well, we went out last night with a few friends, and I think she's probably not at her very best right now. She's going to meet me for lunch before she heads back to Boston."

"Oh, a crazy night out with the girls? You seem fine."

Elizabeth turned to look at him again, finally feeling as though the heat in her face had diminished. "Well, I was the sensible one of the group. One, I had to work today, and two, I just – I didn't want to feel lousy...later."

He smiled. "I don't want you to feel lousy later either."

"It would make a horrible first impression."

"First impression? We're way beyond that. We must be at second or third impressions by now."

"Lucky for you," she said, arching one brow and smiling.

Will laughed at the teasing expression on her face. "Yeah, I didn't make a very good first impression, did I? And I didn't even have a hangover, I had no excuse. We don't have to rehash that, do we?"

"No, I think I've reminded you enough over the past couple of days."

"Right, especially with my housewarming gift," he said quietly, still with a little smile on his lips.

"Which was a _joke. _I told you, I couldn't resist. It was too perfect."

He continued to smile, but said nothing.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, searching his eyes for a clue as to what he was thinking about.

Still staring at her, he finally spoke. "Nothing, really." He shrugged a little. "I like it when you tease me."

"Oh." Her face flooded with color again.

"And I like watching you blush."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes slightly and looked away, mortified at how many shades of red she seemed to turn in his presence.

"Uh uh, don't look away," Will said quietly, tugging on her hand. He wanted to see that flush on her face, the way it seemed to make her eyes sparkle even more. "Don't be embarrassed." Elizabeth turned to face him fully and lifted her chin a little, causing him to chuckle softly. "That's better."

"For who?" she asked, though she couldn't help but grin back at him. The rich, warm sound of his laugh, rumbling deep in his chest, caused her stomach to flutter.

"For both of us. We have to get all this blushing and first date awkwardness out of the way, don't you think?"

Elizabeth looked puzzled. "Well, it would make sense to get it out of the way while we're actually _on_ our first date, wouldn't it?"

He nodded emphatically. "Under normal circumstances it would make sense, yes, but since we're here, we can get it out of the way now. You follow me?"

She grinned and bit her lip to stop herself from giggling. "I think so."

"So, what would I say to you tonight that would make you blush? Let me think." He paused for a moment, and let his eyes travel around her face, then quickly down her body and back up again. "I would probably tell you how beautiful you look. Yeah, I would definitely say that."

_Oh, he's such a flirt,_ she thought, as her face flamed brighter. _I love it_.

"See?" he exclaimed, pleased with the results. "It's working. Now, when I tell you how beautiful you look tonight, you won't blush, it'll be old news."

She laughed outright this time, and knew that the redness in her cheeks would probably be there for most of the day. "I don't even know how to respond to that."

"You don't need to, I'm moving on." He lifted their joined hands. "We've already conquered this,we're comfortable with holding hands. But I was thinking...first kisses can be awkward, right?"

Elizabeth's heart started to pick up its pace in her chest, skipping along briskly. "I'm sure they can be."

Will smiled, noticing her intensifying color, and leaned in toward her, reaching his free hand up to stroke her cheek. "If we were alone," he said softly, becoming serious as he watched his fingertips glide over her skin, "I can guarantee you that I would be trying very hard, right now, to overcome that awkwardness." His gaze dropped to her lips, lingering there for a long moment before lifting to meet her eyes, as the pads of his fingers moved to travel along her jaw. "Unfortunately, we're not exactly alone."

She shook her head slowly. "No, not exactly." Swallowing, she stared back into his eyes, feeling as if her heart was about to tumble out of her chest. They were such a rich, dark shade of brown, and she couldn't seem to look away from them.

"You have the most gorgeous eyes." The whispered words came out of her mouth before she was even aware she was saying them, and feeling slightly embarrassed, she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she was surprised to see that his skin was suffused with a light shade of pink. "You're blushing," she said, unable to stop a smile from spreading across her face.

He dropped his hand from her cheek and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and shaking his head, even as a smile crept across his face as well. "I'm sure I am."

"Should I take this opportunity to tell you how handsome you look, to save you from another blush tonight?"

Will chuckled as he felt his face become hotter, and was amazed at the way she could make his feelings sway from one extreme to another. Teasing her and making her blush, and then being teased in return, had made him feel a surge of warmth, of affection.

It had quickly changed to a deepening physical awareness as they sat so close, and as he thought of kissing her. _And boy, do I want to kiss her._ It was attraction, arousal, chemistry; he could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest, the flush of her skin, and knew that she felt it too.

And now, he was back to feeling that affection again, that happiness at just being next to her, letting her tease him, making him blush. Finally, he opened his eyes again and turned to look at her. His stomach jumped when he saw the brilliant smile on her face and the shine in her eyes as she stared at him.

"I fully expect you to tell me how handsome I look tonight, though," he said, puffing up his chest a bit. "Just because you're telling me now doesn't get you out of it later."

"My, aren't we a little full of ourselves," she answered, raising one eyebrow playfully.

Will chuckled. "No, I'm not, not really. You can tell me I am, though, I don't mind." Squeezing her hand softly, his smile lessened a bit, and suddenly, he was filled with uncertainty. "I don't know – I'm not – I have no idea...how to do this." He frowned as he realized he was back to stumbling over his words again.

"Do what?" Elizabeth asked, slightly confused.

"_This_," he replied, "what we're doing. I'm just winging it, and I hope I'm not really embarrassing you, or – or making you uncomfortable."

Elizabeth had already begun to shake her head before he finished speaking. His eyes bored into hers, and she could see that despite his flirtatious words, he was completely unsure of himself. "You're not, not at all." She sighed. "I haven't done...well, _this_, in a long time either, so I'm winging it too. But please don't think you've made me uncomfortable, you haven't at all."

He nodded, but remained serious. "Okay."

Wanting to put a smile back on his face, she leaned her shoulder against his, nudging him a little. "Plus, we still have to get past the awkward first kiss, right?" Just saying the words had made her stomach drop, but she was happy to see a brief look of surprise in his expression. "We'll both be winging it with that."

Will looked at her, studying her face for a moment before speaking. "Oh, I won't be winging it with that, trust me," he said, his voice low. "I definitely, _definitely_ know how to do that."

* * *

_Okay, next chapter is the date, I promise! Please leave a review if you have time, I would appreciate it. Thank you!_


	14. Chapter 13

_Posting a day early...work tomorrow, as well as 'the getting ready for school' grind. For my kids, not me! Thanks for all the reviews and comments, I appreciate them, and thanks to my awesome betas, Mariana and Jan, for all their hard work. Again, if you think you spot anything odd...words runtogether (like that), or sentences that appear to be missing words, I would appreciate it if you could PM me, or even leave it in a comment, I'll see it. Thanks! _

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Elizabeth stood in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom, checking her appearance. She had changed her outfit twice; the first one was a little too casual, she'd thought, but then the second one seemed too dressy. Now, she felt as though she looked just right; a bright floral print skirt, a vivid blue short-sleeve blouse, and some nice low-heeled sandals. Casual, but classy and comfortable. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that Will more than likely hadn't asked her out for her impeccable sense of style.

Jane had met her for lunch, as planned, and then they had said their goodbyes, with Jane promising to come back in a couple of weeks to visit again. In return, she made Elizabeth promise to call her after her date with Will, and Elizabeth had said that she would – as long as it wasn't too late.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door, and she quickly glanced at the alarm clock in her bedroom. _Too early to be Will. _Even so, her stomach flipped a little at the prospect of seeing him soon. She glanced out her bedroom doorway, smiling when she saw Maddie at the front door. "Hi Maddie, come on in," she called out.

Maddie walked in and stood in the living room. "I was just wondering if you had plans for dinner tonight. Eddie is going to grill up some fish, we thought you might like to join us."

Elizabeth walked out of her bedroom, and smiled when she saw Maddie's eyebrows lift in surprise. "Actually, I have plans tonight," she said, biting her bottom lip a little and smoothing her hands down over her skirt. "I have a date."

Maddie's eyes widened. "You have a date? A real date?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, a real date. Why are you so surprised?"

Maddie waved a hand at her. "I'm not surprised that you were asked _out_ on a date, I'm surprised you accepted. You haven't exactly been the queen of the dating scene since you moved here."

"Oh, I know that, and you know why," Elizabeth said quietly, looking down at her skirt and running her hands over it again.

"Of course I do," Maddie replied, waiting for Elizabeth to look at her again. When she did, Maddie finished speaking. "I'm sorry if it sounded as if I was making light of it, I'm not."

"It's okay, I know you're not. But besides – well, besides all of _that_, I just – I haven't felt...I don't know, a connection with anyone, I guess."

"And you do now?"

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "Kind of, yeah. It's – it's an odd feeling. Almost unsettling, but in a good way. A really good way."

Maddie stared at her intently. "Does Will feel it too?"

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open a little, showing her surprise. "How did you know?"

Maddie rolled her eyes. "I may have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. The way that man looks at you, I knew it was only a matter of time before he got up the courage to ask you out."

"What do you mean, the way he looks at me?" She laughed, thinking briefly about the little journey she and Will had taken to get to this point. "It took him forever just to acknowledge my presence. You were there the day we met, he barely glanced at me."

Maddie smiled and shrugged. "I think you had him thrown from the very start, and he didn't quite know how to handle it."

Elizabeth nodded, smiling a little herself. "Maybe." She had been thinking a great deal about their conversation that day on the beach, and how Will had said that he felt like he'd known her for a long time, and that he felt comfortable around her. It's possible that all that..._standoffishness,_ as Elizabeth had called it at one time, had been some sort of giant defense mechanism, something for him to hide behind. It would make sense; they had both been through a tremendous amount of loss and pain, even though the pain was completely different in its nature.

Maddie watched Elizabeth, and could see that she was becoming pensive. "I know this is a big deal for you Lizzy, but don't over-think it."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm not, I swear." She paused. "I think we've _both_ been thrown, and now, we just need to...I don't know, step outside of our comfort zones, I guess. Shake things up a little. It's okay, though, I _want_ to do that, I'm _ready_ to do that. With him. It's funny, I feel like we have this – this bond already, for lack of a better word. I think we're both at a place where we want to begin again."

"And see?" Maddie replied, smiling a little. "That's all it takes, that voice inside of you, telling you it's time, that you're ready. I think that in Will's case it's especially true, but it holds true for you as well. It's not like either of you could have pointed to a date on a calendar and said, '_That_ is the day that I will start again'. It had to arrive on its own, and then it just took you realizing that it _had _arrived. And maybe, just maybe, meeting each other helped move things along."

Elizabeth thought that she understood what Maddie was saying. "Like fate?"

Maddie nodded. "Something like fate. Whatever it is, it put you both here, on this island together, at this particular point in your lives."

Elizabeth nodded and clasped her hands together, then unclasped them and wiggled her fingers. "I'm just a bit nervous."

"That's understandable."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks. You're supposed to tell me I shouldn't be."

Maddie smiled. "Honey, you're going to be nervous regardless of what I say," she said quietly, then chuckled when she saw the helpless expression that bloomed on Elizabeth's face. "But no, you shouldn't be, you're absolutely right. There's no reason to be nervous."

Shaking her head a little, Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Do I look alright?"

"You look absolutely stunning. Where are you going?"

"Just to Diamond's Edge. I think he probably wants to stay on the island because of Jack, which is fine with me. It'll be quieter here than in Portland."

"I'm sure there's going to be a lovely sunset later, you should take advantage of it."

Elizabeth smiled. "Maybe we will, I could show Will the beach at the Point."

Maddie grinned. "That's a very romantic setting."

Sighing, Elizabeth covered her eyes with one hand. "Okay, so maybe not _that_ beach. It would probably sound too forward, not to mention too cliché, if I suggested going to the Point to watch a sunset. It sounds like a total pick-up line, and not a very good one at that."

Maddie walked over to Elizabeth and gently pried her hand from her face. "Stop it Lizzy, it's not forward." She thought for a moment. "Do you want to know what I think? I think that Will is sitting at home right now, probably fretting about this just as much as you are. Don't put so much pressure on yourself for it to be perfect. What fun is that? If it seems like he would enjoy going to the beach to watch the sunset, then suggest it. Don't plan it, just go with the flow." She squeezed Elizabeth's hand before releasing it. "Wing it."

_Wing it_. Elizabeth smiled as those words instantly brought back the conversation she had with Will on the ferry this morning, and how he had talked about their first kiss. Her stomach knotted with anticipation, though it wasn't _nervous_ anticipation this time, not at all. She was actually looking forward to that moment, when she would finally find out what it was like to kiss him.

After the ferry had docked, he'd ended up walking her to work, carrying her backpack and holding her hand the entire way, even though the library was in the opposite direction from the grocery store. When they arrived, Elizabeth could tell from the expression on his face that he was thinking about kissing her again, but she knew that he wouldn't.

"Now, that's an interesting smile," Maddie said, interrupting her thoughts. "Care to share?"

Elizabeth shook her head, still smiling. "No, not at the moment. I think that's just what I'll do, though. I'll wing it."

* * *

"This is going to be a piece of cake, you know. It looks pretty easy."

Will looked at Georgiana with an incredulous expression on his face. "Easy?" She had taken the blueprints for the fort and spread them out on the dining room table. Jack was next to her, kneeling up on a chair, which gave him a better view of the design.

Will reached out and placed a hand on Georgiana's forehead. She pulled away and looked up at him, amusement on her face. "What are you doing?"

"Checking to make sure you don't have a fever. What is it exactly that looks _easy_ about _that_?" he said, pointing his finger at the papers on the table.

Georgiana shook her head. "It's just following directions, step by step. All of the wood is pre-cut, partially drilled and labeled. We just have to match up the right screws and things, and look," she said, moving to lift a box onto the table, "this is all the hardware, it's all labeled as to what goes where." The box had arrived with all the lumber, which was now stacked in Will's backyard.

"Thank God."

"Fitzwilliam, this set is designed for people just like you," she said, as she walked over to the stove to check on the ground beef browning in a pan.

Jack laughed suddenly as he studied the plans.

"What's funny?" Will asked, poking his son in the ribs.

Jack giggled again. "Fitzwilliam."

Will grabbed him from behind , lifting him out of the chair and up over his head, before pretending as if he was going to drop him, making Jack screech. "You're lucky you didn't end up with that name, pal."

Jack laughed. "Yup, I know I am." As his father placed him back on the floor, Jack suddenly seemed to realize he looked different. "Why're you all dressed up?"

Will looked down at his clothes, then back at Jack. "Remember I told you I was going out tonight?"

"Oh yeah, with 'Lizabeth, right?"

"Right. Auntie G is going to stay and hang out with you."

"Where're you goin'?"

"Just out to eat."

"Why can't me and Auntie G go too?"

Will looked at Georgiana, and saw the grin on her face as she waited to hear what he would say. "Well, Elizabeth and I thought it would be nice if just the two of us could go out this time."

"Oh." Jack thought for a moment, his face serious. "Is she your girlfriend?"

From the corner of his eye, Will saw Georgiana's eyes widen, and the effort she was putting into not laughing.

"Well, um, no, not – not really. Not yet. Maybe she will be, though. Someday. Maybe." He took a deep breath. _This is not what I expected. _Even so, he took advantage of the topic that had presented itself. "Would that be okay with you? If Elizabeth was my girlfriend?"

Jack thought again, then nodded solemnly. "Yeah, she's nice."

Will smiled a little. "I think so too."

"Can we start building the fort tomorrow morning?" Jack asked, his mind back to more important matters.

"Absolutely. Auntie G will be the boss, we'll just do what she tells us to do."

"She already told me that," Jack said, smiling. "She said she has to be the boss, 'cause you don't know what you're doin'."

Will glanced up at his sister, who burst out laughing. "Thanks, Georgie."

"Hey, you already admitted it yourself," Georgiana replied. "Jack and I will get it all puzzled out, you just need to show up."

"Yeah, Dad, don't worry," Jack said, patting Will's arm as if to reassure him, "we know what we're doin'. You just need to show up."

Will laughed. "Oh, I'll be there, right after I have my coffee." He ruffled Jack's hair. "Why don't you go get washed up, I think your dinner is almost ready."

"'Kay."

Jack left the kitchen, and when he did, Will took a deep breath. "I certainly didn't expect to have that little talk tonight."

Georgie shrugged. "It didn't seem like a big deal to him."

"No, it didn't. I just thought it would occur further down the road a bit, not when I'm about to go out on my first date with her."

"Well, it's over and done with, so you don't have to worry about it." She paused and turned off the stove. "_Were_ you worried about it?"

Will shrugged. "No, not really. Maybe if Jack had been older when he lost his mom, if he had memories of her, it would be different." He sighed. "I don't know, maybe not. He likes Lizzy, like he said, so that helps."

"What's not to like? She's great."

He smiled. "Yeah, she is."

Georgiana watched her older brother as he rubbed his hands together before jamming them into the pockets of his khakis. "Are you nervous?"

"Yes."

Not quite sure how to reassure him, she just smiled. "What time do you have to pick Elizabeth up?"

He glanced at his watch. "In fifteen minutes.

Her eyebrows rose. "Shouldn't you be leaving?"

Will nodded once. "Yes."

"Then go!"

He glanced down at his clothes. "Do I look alright?"

Georgiana looked him over, taking in his neat khakis, Sperry top-siders, and pine green short-sleeve dress shirt. "You look great. Very preppy, like you're headed to the yacht club."

Will rolled his eyes. "Fantastic."

"I'm teasing, you look very handsome. Your hair is getting long."

Will reached up to touch it self-consciously, running one hand through the thick strands. "I know, I haven't bothered to find a barber yet. Jack needs a cut too."

"He looks cute with long hair."

Will looked at her, eyebrows raised expectantly.

This time, it was Georgiana who rolled her eyes. "Oh fine, you do too, it doesn't look bad at all. I'm just not used to you letting it grow out, you've always kept it so short."

"Hey, I live on an island now, I can let myself go a little."

Jack came back into the kitchen and climbed up on a stool, while Georgiana took a pan of taco shells from the oven. "Mmmm, tacos. We haven't had these in a long time, huh Dad?"

"Yeah, that was a good idea from Auntie G," Will said, kissing Jack on the head. "Be good for her tonight, okay?"

Jack nodded. "I will. We're gonna do tents in my room, like we did when we lived in New York."

"I heard all about it. Have fun." He walked over to Georgiana and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Call my cell if anything comes up."

"Go, have a good time." She patted him on the shoulder. "And _don't rush home_."

* * *

Will pulled into the Gardiners' driveway and glanced at his watch. _Six o'clock on the nose. _Before climbing out of the cart, he took a deep breath, trying to slow his galloping heart rate. _Get a grip, Darcy. _He stood from the cart and smoothed his pants, ridding them of imaginary wrinkles, and straightening his shoulders, began to walk down the footpath.

"Hello Will!"

He startled at hearing his name called out, and when he glanced toward where the voice had come from, he was surprised to see Maddie and Ed sitting on their deck, finishing up dinner. It was Maddie who had greeted him, though neither seemed surprised to see him.

"Hi Maddie, hi Ed. How are you?"

"Oh, we're just fine," Maddie answered. "We thought we'd enjoy dinner outside tonight. It's such a lovely night, isn't it?"

Will smiled and nodded. "It is, very nice. Um, if you'll excuse me, I don't want to be late..." He gestured toward Elizabeth's house with one hand.

"Of course, of course, we don't want to keep you," Maddie answered.

He turned and walked toward Elizabeth's house again, but could hear Maddie and Ed talking, their voices a quiet murmur behind him. Arriving at Elizabeth's, he heard music playing through the screen door, the volume low, and then saw her walk into the living room. She was singing along, not very loudly, obviously preoccupied by an earring that was stubbornly refusing to go into her ear. His presence was undetected, so he looked and listened for a moment longer, admiring her...well, her everything.

"Knock knock," he said quietly, trying not to startle her. It didn't work; she jumped, and one hand flew to her heart as she looked toward the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She walked to the door, smiling widely, and opened it. "Oh, it's okay. Come in."

Will stood in the living room and looked around, a bemused expression on his face. "You were right, this place is huge."

She laughed. "Isn't it? I'd give you a tour, but I'm afraid it would take too long and we'd miss dinner."

He laughed with her. "Seriously, it's very charming."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It's ridiculously small...and actually, with you standing here, it seems even smaller." He seemed to fill the room, and the feminine colors and accents in the house were a startling contrast to his decidedly masculine presence. "But yes, it's charming. I love it," she said, "though the entire house could probably fit into your living room."

He shrugged. "It's nice, and you were right when you said it's cozy." Will liked the place, liked the way it felt like a little cottage. All of the walls were painted in pale pastel colors, with white trim everywhere, and the furniture was covered in bright floral-patterned fabrics. The kitchen was located in the small 'lighthouse' structure, and so the counters were all shaped to match the curve of the walls. There were two other rooms off of the living room; one a bathroom, he assumed, and the other must have been the bedroom.

"Thanks. Um, I'm ready, so...should we go?"

Will nodded. "We should, but first, I do need to say how beautiful you look." He liked seeing her a little dressed up, and not for work for a change. The skirt was very pretty, sexy even, and he enjoyed the view of the long expanse of leg that it provided him. Her hair was loose, tumbling down her back in long waves, and he remembered what it had felt like to twirl one long strand around his finger, the day that they were at the beach. Swallowing, he took in the light flush on her cheeks, delighting in it. "Very, very beautiful."

The color in her cheeks intensified, but she managed a smile. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." _God, that's an understatement,_ she thought, taking in his appearance. He was the picture of masculinity, tall and broad and..._sigh_.

Determined to make him blush just as she was, she continued on. "You're, like, movie star, model handsome. _Poster-boy_ handsome." He pursed his lips and began to look away from her, but not before she caught sight of the pink tinge to his cheeks. Laughing, she picked up her purse from where it sat on her small coffee table. "Okay, now we're even. Ready?"

Biting his lip slightly, he nodded. "Ready. Oh, just so you know...we might have an audience when we leave."

Elizabeth peeked out her door, then groaned when she saw who he was talking about.

"Funny, they didn't seem surprised to see me," he said curiously.

"Well, Maddie popped over a little while ago, and I mentioned to her that I had a date. She figured the rest out on her own."

Will's eyebrows lifted. "Really?"

"Yes, really. She's pretty intuitive."

"Either that, or I'm pretty obvious."

"According to her, it's a little of both." She laughed as he shook his head and the light blush returned to his cheeks. "Though, it's not just you. I think I'm just as...obvious."

Will's lips turned up slightly. "I'm glad it's not just me." He looked out the door again, and saw that Ed and Maddie had risen from the table to begin cleaning up. Looking down at Elizabeth, he held out his arm to her. "Well, I guess we should run this gauntlet and get it over with."

Elizabeth reached to take his arm, immediately feeling the heat from his warm skin as her hand curled around his bicep. "Oh, you make it sound like we're heading to the gallows. Come on, they're harmless."

They walked out of her house, and Will shut the door behind them. Elizabeth took up his arm again, and they headed slowly down the pathway. He smiled down at her, and she beamed back at him, and for a brief moment, it was just the two of them. Their eyes remained on each other, until they heard Maddie say something quietly to Ed.

Elizabeth and Will finally looked away from each other, and stopped walking as they reached the deck.

"How was dinner?" Elizabeth asked.

"Absolutely delicious," Ed answered, "especially since we washed it down with some of Charles' home-brew. There's nothing better."

"I agree," Will said.

"Don't let us keep you," Maddie said, picking up their plates to carry into the house, and trying – a bit unsuccessfully – to appear nonchalant at the sight of Elizabeth and Will together. "You kids go on your way, and have a wonderful time."

"Yes, have a nice night," Ed added. He was trying to appear blasé as well, but the smile in his eyes gave him away.

Elizabeth and Will said their thank-yous and wished them a good night. They headed out of the backyard and continued down the path to the small driveway. Once seated in the cart, Will turned to look at Elizabeth. "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be. Although for a minute there, I thought Maddie was going to pull out a camera. I feel like we're going to prom."

Elizabeth laughed, and the musical sound brought a huge smile to Will's face and made his heart thrum in his chest as he gazed at her, watching her eyes light up.

She turned to look at him, probably to say something, and before he even knew what he was doing, he was leaning toward her, reaching up to gently hold her face with one hand, before bringing his lips to hers. He had the fleeting thought that this was_ not the time_, but the thought vanished as quickly as it had come. He remained still, not doing much other than lightly pressing his mouth to hers. She was caught off guard, he was sure of it, but he knew the instant that her surprise dwindled away; he felt her lips soften and become pliant under his, and he raised his other hand to cradle her face before letting it slide into the deep brown waves of her hair.

Will's heart was no longer just thrumming in his chest. It was pounding heavily, and his senses felt completely overwhelmed by her; the softness of her skin, that floral scent that somehow he knew he'd always associate with this moment, and the sweet taste of her lips, now moving tentatively, shyly with his.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly, and he felt a wave of warmth surge through his body, making his hands shake as he held her. He lowered them to his thighs and drew away from her slightly, ending the kiss, and waited until she opened her eyes to look at him. Both of them were breathing erratically; he could feel the gentle puffs of her breath on his face as they stared steadily at each other. Without breaking eye contact, he tried to talk, finding it necessary, suddenly, to explain himself, or apologize, or _something_.

Will swallowed, still trying to control his breathing. "I – I..." he stammered, "I don't – I'm sor –." He stopped speaking when Elizabeth reached to grasp his hands where they rested on his thighs. Shaking her head a little, she closed the small distance between them, this time moving to kiss him.

Elizabeth knew what he was going to say. He was going to say he was sorry, and she couldn't bear to hear it. She wasn't sorry, far from it, and certainly didn't want him to be. She let her hands slide from where they held his, down his forearms and up his biceps to his shoulders as they kissed. They were a little more sure of themselves now, and silently she encouraged him, telling him without words that this was okay, that this _was_ the time. Once again, he reached to lightly frame her face with his large hands, holding her as the kiss very slowly and very gently deepened.

When their tongues finally touched, a shiver shot up Elizabeth's spine, and then something odd but exhilarating happened; everything around her became hazy and out of focus. There was only Will, and this moment with him, the feel of his lips stroking over hers, the warmth of his thumbs as they caressed her cheeks. Even the sounds around her disappeared. All that she could hear was her own heartbeat and a loud rushing noise in her ears.

Briefly but vividly, the thought crossed her mind that she was exactly where she was supposed to be: Here, in a golf cart, in the Gardiners' driveway, kissing Will.

_Like fate_.

It felt so perfect, so _right_, that she had to pull away from him and break the kiss; the urge to smile was just too great.

Their lips separated with a soft, wet sound, and Elizabeth opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes remained closed, and as she leaned back a little, his head followed as he sought her lips again. They kissed once more, and she couldn't help herself, she moaned a little into his mouth, and the sound must have jostled his mind, reminding him where they were. He slowly dragged his lips from hers, and took a deep breath before nuzzling her cheek and kissing her there.

Will opened his eyes and lowered his forehead to Elizabeth's. She was smiling at him, and though he felt his lips quiver, he managed a smile in return. They were both still breathing heavily as they remained focused on each other. He had no idea what to say at this point, and was more focused on figuring out how to get all the blood that had begun to pool in his groin to start circulating back through the rest of his body. Before he could think on it more, Elizabeth spoke.

"Not awkward," she whispered breathlessly, shaking her head before smiling broadly.

He laughed, his voice hoarse, and stroked his hands over her hair, still keeping his forehead against hers. Seeing her reaction to what they had just shared, he instantly felt his body and his mind relax with relief. "No, not awkward. Not at all," he whispered.

Will sat back a little and looked around him, finally lowering his hands from where they gently held her head. "Not the most ideal setting for a first kiss." He took a deep breath and looked back at her again, drawn in by her lovely brown eyes.

Elizabeth reached up to stroke over his warm cheek, before moving to take one of his hands in hers. "It was more than ideal. It was perfect."

* * *

They had long since finished their dinner, and were now just lingering, sitting and talking about everything and nothing. The candlelight and quiet piano music in the restaurant created a cozy, intimate atmosphere, making it easier to talk and share things.

At one point, they ended up talking a bit about their families, and Will had told Elizabeth about the untimely death of his mother. He told her how old he was when it happened, and _how _it had happened, but that was it. She was shocked, to say the least, but before she'd even had a chance to ask him anything about it, he'd started to tell her about Mrs Reynolds. 'Alice' was something of a nanny-slash-housekeeper for his family as he was growing up, and talking about her brought a smile back to his face; it was obvious he felt a great deal of affection toward her. The fact that he didn't mention his father at all didn't surprise Elizabeth; she knew from things he'd said previously that they didn't get along.

In turn, Elizabeth told Will a little bit about her parents, mostly about her father.

"What does he do?" Will asked.

"Well, he used to work for the MBTA, which is the public transit system in Boston. He had some medical problems a few months back, so he decided to retire early."

"That's too bad," Will replied. "Is he okay now?"

She nodded. "He's fine. He spends his days working in the gardens around the house...or driving my mother crazy. I think he enjoys both equally."

Elizabeth's mention of her hometown had led to a particularly lively discussion, when they talked about the merits of Boston versus New York, and Will had let slip that he was a Yankees fan. Elizabeth had frozen in comic disbelief, lifted her napkin from her lap, placed it on the table and made as if she was going to leave, saying, "I'm afraid I can't see you anymore."

Of course, she was born into a Red Sox family and was a proud member of Red Sox Nation; to pledge loyalty to any other team equated blasphemy in the Bennet household. She was nearly as appalled when she found out Will also rooted for the New York Giants, although he redeemed himself by admitting that the New England Patriots had a better quarterback in Tom Brady.

And now, it seemed, Will was intent on moving their conversation on to something else.

"A secret? What kind of secret?"

He shrugged and sat back, resting his chin in his hand as he leaned on the arm of his chair. "I don't know, anything. Tell me something that no one else knows about you."

"That's impossible," Elizabeth replied, reaching to lift her glass of wine, and taking a slow sip.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. "Why is that impossible?"

Setting her glass back down, she smiled at him impishly. "Because I have no secrets from Jane, she knows everything about me."

"Oh. Okay. Well, something that Jane knows, but no one else does. Or that not many other people do."

Elizabeth chewed her lip for a moment, then smiled. "Oh, I know. I play the piano."

Will's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You do?" He sat forward again, resting his arms on the table and leaning toward her.

"I do. Pretty well, actually. And that's kind of not fair of me, because it's not really a secret, but it's something you don't know about me."

Will thought back to when he showed up at her house, and had heard her singing. "So, you're multi-talented...you play piano, and you sing."

She looked puzzled, just for a moment, and then it dawned on her. "You heard me when you came to pick me up."

"I did."

"How long were you standing there?"

"Mm, not long. Well, long enough, I guess." His eyes focused on hers intently. "You have a very nice voice," he said softly.

She returned his steady gaze, and feeling her face begin to warm, she cleared her throat. "Thank you. Okay, your turn."

"Oh, you want to know something about me? Hm. I don't really have any secrets."

Rolling her eyes, she reached out to lightly slap his arm. Before she could pull her hand back, he grabbed it and held it firmly, tugging it a little to let her know it now belonged to him.

"Oh, there's always my name, you don't know my real name yet."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean? It's – it's not William?"

"Well, it is, but that's an abbreviated version. My full first name is actually Fitzwilliam."

"Oh. Really? That's – that's a unique name."

He caught the smile she was trying to prevent from forming on her lips, and he tugged on her hand again before stroking his thumb over it repeatedly. "You can giggle, it's okay. Jack does whenever he hears it. As a matter of fact, Georgie called me by my full name tonight and he completely cracked up. He does it every time."

Elizabeth smiled widely, trying to focus on his words, and not on the warmth that was enveloping her hand as he caressed it. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing. It's just – I don't think I've ever heard that name before."

"Well, long story short, it was my mother's maiden name, and so I got stuck with it." He shook his head. "Do you know how much it sucked to have to learn to spell that in kindergarten? _F-I-T-Z-WILL-I-AM,_"he said in a sing-song voice, making Elizabeth laugh. "I was ecstatic when my parents let me shorten it to just 'Will' when I was in second grade. That's why Jack is just Jack, we didn't want to saddle him –."

He stopped speaking, suddenly aware of where the conversation was headed, and almost afraid to continue. He glanced at Elizabeth, unsure if she understood why he had stopped. She squeezed his hand, and continued for him. "You didn't want to saddle him with a long name?"

He nodded and swallowed, releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Yes. I mean, we – we liked the name Jack anyway, it was just a plus that it only had four letters."

"What's his middle name?" Elizabeth asked, wanting somehow to let him know that this was fine, that it was okay. She held tightly to his hand, silently urging him to finish.

"Um, it's Louis. After his – his maternal grandfather. My father-in-law."

Elizabeth smiled. "That's nice, it has a nice ring to it," she said softly. "It's a very strong-sounding name."

Will nodded, and felt himself relax again as he held fast to her hand. "It is, it's a great name. For a great kid."

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Will asked as he drove along the bumpy dirt lane. "Are you kidnapping me?"

"Interesting thought, but no," Elizabeth replied saucily, grinning to herself when she saw him glance at her out of the corner of her eye. "You said you wanted to see the sunset, so I'm taking you to the Point."

"Ah, of course. The Point."

"It's the best place on the island to see it. It's not much farther."

She was right; soon enough the lane opened up, ending in a large dirt parking lot. There were a few other carts, and as they parked and walked down to the wide, sandy beach, they saw a small group of people further away, trying to finish up a volleyball game before the sun completely disappeared.

"Wow, this is beautiful," Will said, reaching down to take Elizabeth's hand, but keeping his eyes on the horizon. After a moment, he glanced up higher, over his head. "You can already see the stars coming out."

Elizabeth followed his line of vision, and she did see a few stars, though they weren't twinkling too brightly yet. "It's clear, not a cloud in the sky." She heard him sigh, and turned to look at him as he stood there, staring at the heavens. "What are you thinking?"

He hesitated for a moment, then gave a short laugh before speaking. "A lot of things."

"Such as?" she asked tentatively, while using him for balance as she removed her sandals.

Finally, he looked down at her. "Such as...I'm glad we moved, I'm glad I brought Jack here to live." His eyes wandered to the ocean, lapping calmly against the shore. "I love having this view, this amazing scenery, right in my backyard. I love that I _have_ a backyard." He smiled when he heard Elizabeth's quiet laughter and turned to look at her again. "I'm very happy that you're standing here with me right now, and that you no longer think I'm a horse's ass."

Elizabeth erupted in laughter, the sound bringing a smile to Will's lips as he lifted her hand to kiss it.

After a moment she quieted and looked up at him. Despite the humor in his remark, she had still heard the sentiment buried within it. "I'm happy I'm here too." He said nothing, only stared at her, and feeling bold, she moved closer to him and stood on her tiptoes, reaching up with her free hand to wrap it lightly behind his neck. "I would be happier, however, if you kissed me again," she whispered, never breaking eye contact.

Without hesitating, Will moved to place his hands on Elizabeth's waist, drawing her closer to him, and lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly but thoroughly, feeling as though he had all the time in the world to explore her and taste her. She was not shy or tentative at all this time; her lips stroked over his confidently, and they fell into a perfect rhythm. Their tongues danced gently, gliding together, and when Will moved one hand to slide it up along her neck, he could feel the riotous thump of her pulse in her throat, beating against his thumb. He stroked her there lightly, and the sound of her soft gasp against his lips caused his entire body to tremble.

Elizabeth drew as close to him as she could, pressing herself against his body as she reached up to wrap her other hand around his neck and up into his hair. The large hand on her waist moved as he wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly to him. Through all of this, the kiss remained tortuously unhurried, and she felt as though she was being consumed in a slow-burning fire, one that started as a small ember but was steadily being fanned to a bright blaze.

Will pulled away slightly then, breaking the kiss, and rested his forehead to hers. After a moment he lifted his head and gently held her against his chest, swaying a little. They stood like that for a bit longer, and he eventually lowered his hand from her neck and wrapped it around her, holding her in a tight embrace. His heart was pounding away, and he knew she must have been able to feel it, relaxing as she was against him. He didn't mind, not at all. He wanted her to feel it, wanted her to know what she did to him.

Elizabeth fought to control her breathing and rubbed her lips together, licking them a little to savor the taste of him. She lowered her arms to wrap them around his waist, burrowing into his chest a little further, inhaling the light scent of whatever cologne he was wearing. His heart was racing, and she knew that hers was too, she could feel it beating and pulsing throughout different parts of her body. Silently, they watched the sun drop into the ocean as they held each other. The volleyball players began to quickly pack up, leaving the net standing, but grabbing all of their other belongings and heading off the beach.

Finally, Elizabeth spoke. "It's going to be pitch black here shortly." In response, he took a deep breath, and she felt the movement of his chest as it expanded. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth and strength of him.

"I don't want to take you home yet," he murmured into her hair.

"Good, because I don't _want_ you to take me home yet."

"Where can we go?" he asked, nuzzling her hair.

Elizabeth looked up at him and kissed his chin. "I have an idea."

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking across the small lot of the community swimming pool, which had closed a few hours earlier, toward the playground. She knew it would probably be deserted, even though it did have some lighting. Tonight was especially bright, as the previous nights full moon – the 'Honey Moon' – was shining down on everything, casting odd shadows here and there.

They reached the swings, and sat in two that were side by side. Will immediately reached for one of the chains holding Elizabeth's swing, and pulled her toward him so that he could kiss her. She smiled against his lips, and he lifted his head to look at her.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked, pushing her away from him gently before pulling her back again, keeping his feet braced on the ground while hers floated underneath her.

"I was just thinking about the whole kiss thing, about the awkward first kiss we were supposed to have."

"We handled it well, didn't we?"

"Very well. You said you wouldn't be winging it with that, so...I guess you were right." She sighed, then laughed when she saw the smug expression on his face. Turning serious, she finally asked him what she'd wanted to ask him since they were in the Gardiners' driveway. "Why did you start to apologize?"

Will lightly pushed her away again, then pulled her back, causing their swings to begin to twirl slowly. He shrugged. "I don't know. I felt like I kind of ambushed you a little. I know you weren't expecting it."

She shook her head slightly. "I wasn't, not at all, not right then. I'm glad you did it, though. I'm glad you couldn't wait."

"Oh, _now_ who's full of themselves?" he asked playfully, pushing her away again.

She giggled. "That's not what I meant. I'm glad you couldn't wait, because _I_ couldn't wait."

This time, when she drifted close to him again, he held the chain tightly, not letting her swing away from him. "Really?"

"Yes, _really_." She leaned in toward him to prove her point, kissing him sweetly but briefly. "I told you, it was perfect. I thought that you were sorry that you kissed me."

His eyes widened a little. "No, no, that's not what I meant at all, I just – I felt like I jumped on you, that's all."

Elizabeth shook her head, smiling softly to reassure him, but said nothing.

There were so many other things she wanted to ask him, but the last thing she wanted was to make him feel like this was a first-date inquisition. In the small amount of time that she'd spent with him since he moved here, he had mentioned his wife – almost – twice. He'd hesitated each time, as if he was afraid to, as if he thought it would be breaking some sort of unspoken rule if he said her name or talked about her. She knew that it was different for him than it was for her; losing your spouse because of death didn't exactly equate to losing them because of divorce, and she understood that completely. It was her choice to end her marriage, but it wasn't his choice to end his. Chances were very good that if his wife was still alive, he would probably still be married and living in New York.

But he wasn't married anymore, and he wasn't living in New York. He was here, on this tiny island in Maine, sitting on some playground swings with her. Somehow, she knew already that there would be many dates to follow this one, and knew it with such startling clarity that it should have made her question her sanity, but oddly enough, it didn't. She could only compare her feelings at this moment, with Will, to the feelings she'd experienced when she moved to the island. _It feels like coming home._

Will pulled on the chains of Elizabeth's swing, turning her so that she was facing him. He had both feet planted wide on the ground, and kept pulling until she was as close as she could get without her swing rising up too high. He noticed that her mind had drifted elsewhere, and wanted to know where it had gone to. "What are you thinking about?" he asked, now holding her stationary.

"Just that there's so much, still, that we don't know about each other." He nodded in agreement. "But I'm also thinking that we have plenty of time to learn, don't we? We don't have to find out everything in one night, do we?"

He shook his head. "No, of course we don't." He could see that she wanted to keep things light, and not get caught up in anything too serious, and he was thankful for it. She was right, they had no reason to hurry. "We could get the basics out of the way now, if you'd like."

"The basics?"

"Yeah, you know, the basics. The easy stuff," he said playfully, pulling her toward him for a quick kiss. "I'll start. What's your favorite food?"

"I have to pick _one_?"

"Yes."

"Seafood."

He sighed dramatically and shook her swing a little, making her giggle. "You can't say 'seafood', it's too broad. That would be like me saying 'meat'. Be more specific."

"Okay, fine. Lobster. Yours?"

He rolled his eyes. "The woman that lives in Maine picks lobster as her favorite food. That's a shocker. Mine is...well, it's a tie, actually, between Mrs Reynolds' homemade mac and cheese, and a perfectly cooked filet mignon with Bearnaise sauce. Okay, favorite color?"

Elizabeth let her eyes wander slowly down the front of his shirt, first to his chest, then to his stomach, then back up to his face.

"Green," she said quietly. Her answer earned her a glimpse of his dimples and another kiss. "Yours?"

He stared at her for a long moment before answering softly. "Right now, it's brown." Under the bright light of the moon, he could see her blush at his words. "Now it's pink." His eyes dropped to her lips, and he watched as her tongue darted out to wet them. "Mm...now I think it might be red."

Elizabeth felt herself being pulled toward him again, as he positioned her swing between his knees. He reached for her hands, encouraging her to stand, and she complied without even thinking about it. Now, with him still seated, they were almost at an equal height.

She stared into his eyes, so close to hers, and spoke softly. "I – I think I'm changing my answer to brown now."

Will felt his heart rate speed up as he leaned into her, stroking along her nose with his before moving to her cheek, inhaling the scent of her skin. Oddly enough, he detected a trace of his own cologne there, most likely from when they were embracing earlier. He felt a sudden burst of pleasure at that but didn't pause to examine it further, deciding instead to just enjoy the feeling as it coursed through his body. Releasing her hands, he wrapped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her up against him, the momentum causing his swing to move back slightly, which in turn caused her to practically fall against him. She placed her hands on his shoulders to brace herself, and without taking his eyes from hers, he brushed her lips with his own, just a fleeting kiss.

Will leaned back, just slightly, to look at her, and then repeated the action again and again, kissing her a little longer each time, keeping his eyes locked on hers. Elizabeth realized that she had never, ever kissed with her eyes open, and though part of her was feeling desperately shy and self-conscious, she wouldn't let herself close them. She found herself almost straining toward him each time that he pulled away, wanting to keep his lips on hers, wanting the kiss to deepen. Finally, his hands slid up her back, into her hair, and he groaned softly as he kissed her hungrily, the way she _wanted_ him to kiss her, the way she wanted to kiss _him_. When she saw his eyes drifting shut, she kept hers open for just a moment longer, hesitant to let go of that little bit of intimacy between them.

Every bit of Will's focus was on the woman in his arms, and how _absolutely perfectly_ she fit there. He broke the kiss, needing to catch his breath, but immediately decided that oxygen deprivation was _not_ such a bad thing, and quickly brought his mouth to her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin. He thrilled at the sound of her uneven breathing, at the feeling of her body moving closer to his and her hands tangling in his hair, grasping it tightly. It was sensory overload, and he was reveling in it, feeling incredibly alive for the first time in a long, long while.

Elizabeth felt his hands leave her shoulders and the shelter of her hair, blazing a trail of warmth as they slid lower, finally coming to rest at the small of her back. She could feel the heat coming off of his skin, and it would have been so easy to just continue to stand there and bask in it, but she knew they would have to stop. Eventually. A gentle nip of his teeth on the sensitive skin of her neck surprised her and nearly made her jump out of his arms, but when he followed it with a soothing swirl of his tongue, she calmed. It had startled her enough, though, that her mind began to break free of the dense fog it had drifted into.

"Will," she said, though her voice was nothing but a throaty whisper. His lips moved up her neck, to the curve of her jaw, and finally back to her mouth, at an agonizing, wonderfully slow pace.

"Elizabeth," he murmured against her lips, before kissing her lightly.

She sighed, a deep, shaky exhalation of breath, and he kissed her again.

"Lizzy," Will said softly, although he could have said more. He could have said, _"My Lizzy, my Elizabeth_,_" _but was afraid that the words would send her running from the playground, from him. It was how he felt, though. He couldn't deny it, and wouldn't try. Finally, he lifted his lips from hers, and moved his hands up to cradle her face, letting his thumbs glide over her warm cheeks as he looked into her eyes.

"We – we should..." _Stop_, she was supposed to say. _We should stop_.

"We should stop," he finished for her, a small smile gracing his lips.

She nodded but said nothing, letting her fingers play with the strands of hair at the nape of his neck, before sliding her hands to caress his shoulders, kneading the muscles there gently.

Groaning, Will dropped his head to rest lightly on her shoulder. He needed this time-out, needed these few minutes, possibly more than a few, before he could stand up and not embarrass himself. Thankfully, she hadn't pressed in so close that she'd been in contact with the nether-regions of his body; if she had, well...chances are, the running from the playground would have commenced much sooner.

After a few moments spent holding each other quietly, he lifted his head again and stared at her, and Elizabeth was more than a little surprised to see a playful expression on his face. She looked at him curiously. "What?"

He reached behind her, stretching until he was able to grab the chain of the swing that she had vacated earlier, and encouraged her to sit again. Once she was comfortable, he tugged on the chain, pulling her swing toward his.

"I am," he began, pausing briefly to clear the raspiness from his throat before continuing on. "I am _not_ sorry I kissed you in the Gardiners' driveway, and I'm not even sorry that we were in the Batmobile." His eyes twinkled as he spoke. "I am _not_ sorry that I kissed you at the beach, and I am _not _sorry that I kissed you here. I am _not_ apologizing for _any_ of that."

Elizabeth laughed at his sudden bravado. "Well, I certainly hope not. It would probably – no, it would _definitely_ lessen the chances of my agreeing to a second date." She raised her feet, still bare, to rest them on his ankles.

"We can't have that."

"We can't?"

"No, absolutely not. If we don't have a second date, I'll never find out all of those other important things that I _have _to know about you."

Elizabeth giggled and leaned toward him, and he met her in the middle for a brief kiss. "Such as?"

"Such as, your favorite type of music? Your favorite movie? Sunrises or sunsets? And, the all-important question to ask of a librarian...fiction or non-fiction?" He stopped talking to watch her, as she'd begun to laugh again at his line of questioning.

"These are the important things that you _have_ to know?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Will grinned and winked at her. "If saying that gets me a second date, then hell yes, I have to know them. I want to know –."

He stopped suddenly, and Elizabeth looked at him as the expression on his face changed and he became slightly more serious. "You want to know what?" she asked quietly.

Sighing, he looked away from her for just a moment before returning his eyes to hers. "I want to know...everything," he said, his voice steady but hushed. "I want to know every possible thing there is to know about you."

Elizabeth could hear the sincerity in his voice, and she swallowed roughly as her heart began to pound. "Everything?"

He nodded. "Yes, everything."

"The good, the bad...and the really bad?"

Will nodded again, more emphatically this time. "Yes. All of it."

She lightly bit the inside of her bottom lip, understanding fully what he was saying: _Warts and all._ She wanted it too, had already admitted it to herself, but had not thought that he would come to the same realization so soon.

He stood from his swing and moved closer to her, lifting one hand to cup her cheek. His thumb stroked over her bottom lip, and as she looked up at him, she noticed an odd expression on his face, one that she couldn't read. She covered his hand with one of hers, and when he bent to kiss her, she gave herself over to it completely. It was a loving, gentle kiss, one that made her heart soar.

He stood straight again and pulled her from the swing, hugging her close to his body, and repeated the words he'd just said. "All of it."

She nodded against his chest. "I – I want to know, too. Everything. I want the same from you. Can you – do you think you can do that?"

Will paused, but only for a moment. "Yes," he whispered, knowing he could, and completely certain, beyond all measure of a doubt, that he wanted to. He held her tightly to him, and felt the reassuring strength of her arms as she hugged him back. "Yes, I can."

* * *

_So, was their first date successful? Please leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks! _


	15. Chapter 14

_Hello everyone! I'll be bogged down with work tomorrow, so thought that today would be the better day to post. The reviews of the 'date' were very nice, so thank you all for those, I appreciate that you take the time to leave me a note. And, thanks to Jan and Mariana, my excellent betas, for all the work they do. _

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Will woke slowly and rolled onto his back, inhaling deeply, and brought one hand to his bare chest to scratch there lightly. It felt cool in his room, and he couldn't understand why until he cracked his eyes slightly and looked around. He was naked, only partly covered by the sheet, and all of his bedroom windows were wide open. The breeze that drifted through them lifted the curtains, making the gauzy material billow and ripple, the morning sun creating shadows beyond them that danced and played on the walls.

The scent of something familiar floated around him, and he found himself breathing heavily, trying to capture and identify it, wanting to commit it to memory. It was something...something floral, something decidedly feminine. Suddenly, it came to him; it was _her_. It was the scent of the small indentations under her ears, the smooth valley between her breasts, and the tender skin behind her knees. Pleasure coursed through his body, and vaguely, he wished for the ability to conjure up the delicate scent whenever he desired it. Settling himself further into his pillow, he became lost in his thoughts, so much so that he almost missed the movement – the very, very slight movement – next to him.

He turned his head, not sure of what he would see, and beheld the sight of a luxurious mass of brown hair on the pillow next to his. Slowly, a grin spread across his face. _It's her. She's here. _He lifted his hand from his chest and reached out, tangling his fingers in the thick, soft waves before letting them glide down her bare back, following the sloping curve of her spine. He saw her body shift as she woke and watched her as she stretched, elongating each limb like a contented cat. As she lifted her arms over her head, she rolled over to face him, smiling languidly even though her eyes were barely open.

"Good morning," she whispered, sliding closer to him.

The sound of her sleepy voice was all it took to bring his body to life, and he rolled onto his side to face her. "Good morning, Lizzy," he said softly. She was bare, the sheet only covering her from the waist down, her beautiful breasts only inches away from pressing against his chest. As she moved toward him, the sheet slipped even lower, revealing her stomach and one perfectly rounded hip. She was beginning to tan, and the warm tone of her skin was a striking contrast to the stark white sheets on his bed.

Very slowly, Will moved his hand and placed it on her breast, palming it gently, cupping the weight of it. He watched in greedy fascination as the peak tightened and grew under his touch, and leaned forward to cover it with his lips. He felt her arms as they curled around his head, pulling him closer, holding him to her. His tongue moved in gentle swirls and strokes, and her body arched in response as her legs tangled with his under the sheet. She grasped his hair and urged his mouth up to hers, and they kissed as though they were starved for the taste of each other.

Will wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him, kissing her hungrily, until the need for air broke them apart. He stared at her lips, swollen and bright red, and all he could think about was making them _more_ swollen, _more_ red – and then she smiled at him again, in a way that made his blood simmer. She watched his face as one petite hand landed on his chest and slowly moved lower, pausing to stroke his small, flat nipples, before sliding further down his stomach and disappearing under the sheet.

He was beyond aroused already, and when he felt her warm hand trail over his abdomen and grasp him snugly, he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, rolling onto his back. Slowly, she moved her hand up and down the length of him, stopping to play with the little bead of moisture that leaked from his tip, making him grow harder with every stroke. When he opened his eyes, she was gazing down on him with that heavy-lidded, come-hither expression. Her mouth lowered to his, and his eyes lazily drifted shut again as they kissed deeply. She continued to caress him, causing any and all coherent thoughts to flee, leaving only sensation in their wake. As she pulled her lips from his, he heard her speak, but for some reason, it sounded as if she was far away.

"It's Wednesday," she said quietly, removing her hand from his body and sitting back. "It's time to make the fort."

He blinked at her in confusion, aching to be touched again. "What?"

"I said, it's time to make the fort."

Will's eyes flew open, just in time to see forty pounds of five-year-old boy come hurtling onto his bed. Jack jumped on top of Will, bringing him from sound asleep to wide awake in a matter of seconds, then stood and jumped up and down a little on the gigantic bed. He launched himself at his father again, unintentionally lodging one boney little knee right into Will's groin.

"_Oomph,"_ was all that Will could manage to grunt, as pain rocketed through his body. He attempted to roll onto his side and curl up into the fetal position, something that all males seemed to instinctively do when those particular body parts were violently under siege, but Jack was still perched partially on top of him, with his knee dangerously close to striking again. Will reached down to cover his rapidly dwindling erection with his hands – relieved to discover he was wearing boxers – and groaned into his pillow.

Jack suddenly seemed to realize exactly what had occurred, and he moved off of his father quickly. "Sorry Dad, did I get you in the privates?"

Will could do nothing but groan and nod.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Do you want me to get Auntie G?"

Will groaned again and emphatically shook his head, then managed to grunt out a "No".

"It must hurt, huh?"

Will opened one eye and glared at his son. "Yes," he said, his voice hoarse.

"I was just comin' in to see if you were awake. Auntie G is up, she said you need to get up 'cause we have work to do."

Will took a deep breath, and then another, still keeping his hands between his legs...just in case. "Did Auntie G make coffee?" he finally asked.

"Mmhm."

Will groaned again. He could tell by the light coming into his room – the windows of which were definitely closed – that it was early. "Alright, give me a minute, and I'll get up," he said quietly, closing his eyes again.

"'Kay."

Will felt the bed move, but when he didn't hear his son's feet hit the wood floor, he opened his eyes. Jack's face was hovering over his, those bright violet eyes staring at Will intently, his dark hair falling across his forehead.

"Do you need some ice or somethin'?"

His expression was so serious, his question so earnest, that Will had to laugh, despite the fact that he was still in agony. "No, buddy, I'm alright. I just need to catch my breath, okay? Thanks anyway."

"'Kay," Jack answered, then leaned forward to kiss Will's cheek. He jumped down off the bed and left the room, and Will tentatively removed his hands from his boxers and stretched his body out, grimacing a little. _That's gonna leave a bruise._

He tried desperately to conjure up any remnants of the dream that he'd been having, but as most good dreams do, it had fled from his mind almost entirely. Still, if the steady, rapid beat of his heart and the full-mast erection he'd awoken with were any indication, it had been a pretty damn good one, and even though he couldn't remember much of it, he definitely remembered who had the starring role.

One date. That's all it took. _One taste._ Well, several tastes, actually. All fuel to fire up his subconscious. High-octane fuel, apparently.

As he had driven to Elizabeth's house to pick her up, he had been completely preoccupied with thoughts of kissing her for the first time. He wasn't nervous about it, not about the mechanics of it anyway, but he _was _worried about how it would feel, and how _he _would feel, during the kiss. And after. Would it conjure up thoughts of Anne? Comparisons? Would he feel guilty, as if he was doing something wrong? Those questions had plagued him as he drove along, and he'd had to force himself to stop thinking about it, and instead, focus on how happy he was to be taking Elizabeth out on a date.

All that worry had turned out to be for nothing anyway. Later that night, after he returned home, he realized that after they'd kissed in the Gardiners' driveway, he hadn't thought about Anne at all. Not once the entire night, actually. Initially, it had shocked him a little, but he quickly realized it was a good thing, a _very_ good thing. Elizabeth Bennet was _here_, in every way, and was very quickly becoming the center of his thoughts.

After enjoying dinner and the sunset at the beach, they had lingered on the playground for quite a while. It was nice, just talking and being playful, kissing and holding each other. There was an undercurrent there, running between them, he could feel it. And it wasn't strictly tied to a physical awareness, at least for him it wasn't. It was something much more acute, rooted in a desire to connect with her on a much deeper level, and he was fairly certain she felt the same way. They had both already admitted that they wanted to know all that there was to know about each other, good and bad, and to Will, that put them on equal emotional footing.

However, they had also agreed that last night wasn't the time to delve too deeply. Last night was about having fun, getting past first date jitters, and making it through the evening with as little bumbling and floundering as possible. _His_ bumbling and floundering, not hers. It wasn't the time for them to bare their souls or dig up skeletons from their pasts that they both had worked so hard to bury. Not yet.

He thought back to the end of the evening, when he had taken her home.

"Are you going to kiss me goodnight?" Elizabeth had asked as she leaned back against her front door.

"Do you want me to?" Will responded, moving closer to her and reaching to hold her hands.

She nodded, smiling shyly. "Yes, I do. Very much," she whispered as her cheeks pinked. "Um, do you want to come in?" Her eyes darted toward the Gardiners' home, then back up to his face. "I mean, just – just for a minute."

Will turned to look over his shoulder, and could see that there were still lights on in Maddie and Ed's house. "Afraid we'll have an audience?" he asked as he looked back at her.

She sighed. "Honestly? Yes. I wouldn't put it past Maddie to spy on us."

Will smiled. "You know her better than I do, so...it's up to you."

She had hesitated for a brief second before unlocking the door and leading him inside, still holding one of his hands. He had noticed the hesitation, subtle as it had been. He closed the door behind him, and when he turned back to her, she suddenly looked nervous and apprehensive. "Are you sure this is okay?" he asked, squeezing her hand.

Elizabeth nodded. "You're just...you're very tall." She glanced around the room, then back to him. "It's like the room shrunk as soon as you walked in. Again."

Seeing that she was a bit disconcerted, he squatted down until he was face to face with her, bending his knees. "Better?"

She laughed, then sighed as she looked him in the eyes. "No," she said softly, "I – I like that you're tall." _Love love love that you're tall._ "You just – you overwhelm. A little. The room, I mean. Not – not me." She cleared her throat softly. "You kind of take it over."

Will looked at his surroundings, once again noting the warm pastel colors and extremely feminine décor, and realized that she was probably right, he did kind of stick out a bit in here. He stood straight again, and examined her expression closely for a long moment. She was trying so hard to appear confident and poised, but he could see that she wasn't, not entirely, and he thought he knew why; when he had been here earlier tonight to pick her up, they hadn't kissed yet, they hadn't crossed that line.

Now, things had changed in a matter of a few hours, and she was nervous. Gone was the playful sprite he had kissed on the beach and on the swings. "I just don't want you to be uncomfortable, that's all," he said, reaching up to stroke her face.

Elizabeth's eyes stayed focused on his, and she gave a barely perceptible shake of her head. "I'm not."

He wasn't convinced, not at all, but decided not to press it. "Okay." He moved closer and gently tugged her toward him, inching her forward until their bodies were touching. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her to him, swaying a little. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and eventually, he felt her body soften as she gradually began to relax against him.

They stood that way for a while longer, until Will kissed the top of her head. "Better?"

He felt her nod against his chest. "Yes."

Coming back to the present, Will sighed again, remembering the kiss that followed. He had let Elizabeth lead, let her decide how long and how deep, and although she was tentative at first and kept it very slow and gentle, it didn't take long for either of them to become completely immersed in it.

They had parted with the promise to talk at some point the next day, and Will had left shortly afterward.

And now, after all that, a wild dream about her. He groaned in frustration when he tried to remember the details again and couldn't. The only thing that he seemed to recall was the fact that the windows had been open and the curtains were blowing.

As he lay in bed, Will's thoughts wandered back to a particular point in time, about two months after Anne had died. He remembered that he'd had the same type of dream about her. It was actually the first of several full-blown, lurid sex dreams he would have about her, and he had woken from it with a painful, raging hard-on, every bit of the dream as vivid in his mind as if she had been right there in bed with him. Not knowing what else to do, and mired somewhere between an all-encompassing sorrow and the desire to experience her again, even if only through a fantasy, he had relieved himself while letting the images play over and over again in his mind.

Afterward, he had risen from their bed and taken a small bottle of her perfume that he had kept, one that contained her favorite scent, and had scattered some of the liquid on the pillow next to his. He had fallen back to sleep clutching the pillow tightly, and though he'd been filled with shame and more than a little self-loathing at what he'd done, he had also slept better that morning than he had since she'd passed away.

Remembering it now, he didn't feel the same way that he did back then. He could look at it more objectively, without casting judgment on himself and his actions. He had been a man in the throes of grief, trying to survive, and he wouldn't condemn himself for doing something that had brought him a measure of peace at the time, however temporary that peace was. Will sighed deeply and pushed the memory, less clear and sharp now with the passage of time, from his mind. _It almost seems as if it was a lifetime ago._

It was amazing how things could change, how choosing one particular course of action – in his case, moving to Maine – could open up a whole new world of possibilities. It was almost like a domino effect, with one new experience propelling him towards another. Or maybe it was something as simple as fate, a force bigger than himself that he had absolutely no control over. Something that led him here, and put Elizabeth in his path. _Beautiful, sweet Elizabeth._ He sighed again, thinking about their evening together. Their first date. _Fate, dumb luck, serendipity, karma...whatever it is, I'll take it and be happy for it._

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Jack's feet pounding up the stairs. He came tearing down the hall into Will's room and jumped up onto the bed again, although with a little less vigor this time.

"Dad, what're you doin'?" Jack asked, obviously exasperated with his father. "You're not even up yet! Auntie G said if you're not downstairs in _five minutes_, she's startin' without you, and you can make your own darn breakfast."

Will chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'm coming," he whined dramatically, reaching to grab Jack and tickle him, making Jack giggle hysterically. "Let's get this fort built."

* * *

Elizabeth slowly sipped her steaming hot coffee from a travel mug as she relaxed on the ferry Wednesday morning. She was headed to work, even though she didn't feel completely awake yet. Normally, by this time of the morning she was raring to go, but not today. Of course, she tended to try to get to bed earlier when she knew she had to work the next day, but last night was a little different. Will hadn't brought her home until just before midnight. They'd sat on the swings at the playground for quite a while before finally moving to a bench, and when she had mentioned, at around eleven, that it was probably time for her to head home, he had blatantly ignored her request.

He had leaned toward her until his face was inches from hers, and spoke seriously. "Are you going to turn into a pumpkin or something?"

She shook her head, keeping her eyes on his, forcing herself to remain serious even though a smile threatened. "No."

"Werewolf?"

"Mmm...only when the moon is full."

He looked up into the night sky, and noted the brightness of the moon, then looked back at her. "Hm. Missed it by one night. That's too bad."

"Too bad? Why is that?"

He wiggled his eyebrows and smiled crookedly. "I think I might have enjoyed being bitten by you."

Will had teased and charmed her, revealing little bits and pieces of himself and his nature through their conversations, even when they amounted to nothing more than silly banter. He had a playful side, something she never would have expected when she first met him. And he had a passionate, romantic side too, one that she became a bit more familiar with as the night passed.

He seemed to want to touch her all the time, even if it was just his leg bumping hers as they swung next to each other, or his hand caressing hers, or reaching to toy with her hair. And the kisses! He stole them from her constantly. _Well, he didn't steal them_, she admitted to herself. _They were given freely_. She had enjoyed kissing him, enjoyed the feelings that those kisses had stirred up, but knew that eventually they would lead to more, if they continued to see each other. _Correction,_ when _they continued to see each other_. It would be the natural progression of things, and although it was probably far enough in the future that she needn't worry about it now, the thought of it had still managed to worm its way into her brain, making her apprehensive.

When he walked into her house at the end of the night, all of that apprehension had ganged up on her, and as they stood in her living room, she began to feel a little discomposed. He was just so big, and so...so _male_. She found his size and physical presence very attractive, though; she didn't feel unsafe or threatened, not at all, only a little overwhelmed, as she had told him. He seemed to fill the room, fill her senses, as if he was surrounding her.

Will had picked up on the change in her demeanor almost instantly, she could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He hadn't pushed for anything from her, and instead had just held her. His hands had stroked up and down her back tirelessly as he let her work through her anxiety on her own, until _she_ had finally become impatient and had initiated their kiss goodnight.

_Oh, and what a kiss_, she thought, and even now, felt her face flush. He had let her control it and had followed her lead, but any thoughts she'd had of staying in control had fled as he seemed to focus solely on her mouth, as if he was exploring her, trying to find the perfect angle of his lips on hers. It was slow and sensuous and seemed to go on forever, igniting a flicker of desire in her belly, something she hadn't felt in a long, long time. When they finally broke apart, both breathing raggedly, they had stared at each other for a moment, until he had reached to hug her to his body again.

Elizabeth could feel that he was aroused, felt the hardness of him pressing against her, and again, a surge of apprehension shot through her, immediately extinguishing any feelings of desire. Fighting against it, she stayed in his arms, wanting desperately to conquer her nerves. Slowly, she had begun to calm again, the involuntary tightness in her muscles loosening bit by bit.

Will had left shortly after that, giving her another brief but sweet kiss before heading out the door. She had immediately gotten ready for bed, but sleep proved to be elusive. Her mind had been racing, replaying every little thing that happened over the course of the evening, from the moment he showed up at her door until the moment he walked out of it. It was past two o'clock when she'd finally fallen asleep, which explained why she felt so groggy this morning.

As the ferry docked, she rose from her seat, grabbed her backpack and purse, and headed down to the lower deck to stand with the other passengers waiting to disembark. Just as she was walking down the long ramp to the pier, her cell phone rang. _Oh no, here we go, _she thought as she looked at the caller ID and saw Jane's name.

"Hello," Elizabeth said, answering the phone cheerfully.

"You were supposed to call me after your date."

"Well, good morning to you too!" Elizabeth replied, laughing a little at her sister's tone.

"You said you would call me!"

"I know I did, but it was late, and I just wanted to go to bed. I was going to call you in, like, two minutes, I swear. I just got off the ferry."

"I was worried."

Elizabeth frowned. "Were you really?" she asked quietly as she began her walk to work. "I'm sorry, Jane, I didn't even think that you might be."

"No, it's okay. I knew you would be alright, I wasn't _too_ worried." She paused. "Okay, I wasn't worried at all, I just said that to make you feel guilty for not calling me."

"Ugh, Jane –."

"Well, you said you'd call! I want some details."

"Don't you have a classroom to clean out or something? Why aren't you at work?"

"I _am_ at work, cleaning my room out, _all by myself_, which means I can talk on my phone as much as I like. So spill it."

Elizabeth sighed to herself. The truth was, she didn't want to _spill it_. Not all of it, anyway. Most of it she wanted to keep to herself, and not share with anyone. Plus, her sister would probably think she was crazy if she told her all of the thoughts she'd had about Will since the start of their date last night. How could she possibly explain how he'd made her feel? The intimacy she'd felt with him, the connection that seemed to exist already between them; there was no way she could describe it or put it into words.

"There isn't much to tell," she said, deciding to be vague and hoping Jane wouldn't dig too much.

"Well, where did you go? What did you do? Did you have fun?"

Realizing she was going to have to give Jane at least some details, she began to relate some of the events of the evening to her, telling her about dinner, and about their visit to the Point, and then about going to the playground.

"And you just talked the whole time?"

"Yes." She felt her face flush. _Most of the time._

"What did you talk about?"

Here, Elizabeth wavered again. She didn't want to reveal too much, not yet. "Just normal getting-to-know-you stuff. We talked about family, mostly, and about New York and Boston. And about Jack...oh, and I found out Will's real first name is Fitzwilliam, not William."

"Wow, that's a mouthful."

Elizabeth laughed. "I know. It's a family name. Oh, and I told him that I play the piano..." Her voice trailed off. "Just little things."

"Nothing too serious?"

"No, nothing too serious," Elizabeth replied. _Not yet. _

"Did you kiss him?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you did?"

"Mmhm."

"Really? How was it? I mean, I don't need specifics, but just...generally."

Elizabeth felt her face flush hotter. "It was...wonderful," she finally said on a sigh.

"Good," Jane answered. She sounded odd, not quite her normal self. Elizabeth could hear something in the tone of her voice, underlying her words. "Are you going to go out again?"

"I think so. I hope so, anyway. We didn't make a plan to, not yet, but I think we will."

"He didn't...you didn't talk about it last night?"

"Well, no, not in so many words," Elizabeth answered, feeling a bit defensive. "We just said we'd talk soon, probably today at some point."

"Oh."

Elizabeth sighed. "What is it, Jane?" She figured out what she was hearing in Jane's voice, in her tone. _It's skepticism_, she thought.

"Well...I thought he would have made it clear to you that he wanted to see you again, if he does."

This time, the skepticism was obvious, and Elizabeth was taken aback by it. "He did make it clear to me, in his own way. Just because he didn't nail down a date doesn't mean anything. Why are you so concerned about it?"

"Don't get upset, it's just that the date sounded very...I don't know, plain?"

Elizabeth began to silently fume, and she found herself walking faster as she talked. "Well, it probably sounds plain to you, because you weren't there." She fought to keep her voice low, but couldn't disguise her tone. "I was, and it was far from plain, or boring, or whatever else might be going through your mind."

"Lizzy, come on, I'm not trying to get you upset." She paused. "He's very wealthy, do you know that?"

Elizabeth stopped, right in the middle of the busy Old Port sidewalk, unintentionally causing several people to have to veer around her suddenly. She moved to get out of the way, and leaned against the brick wall of a boutique. "No, I didn't know that, so do you mind telling me how _you_ know that?"

"I looked him up online, while I was waiting for you to call last night."

"Are you _serious_? What did you do, Google him?"

"Yes, I did," Jane said, a note of defiance in her voice. "I wanted to know what kind of person he was, and what information was out there about him. Did you know his wife –."

"Jane, that's it! Stop right there." Elizabeth took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I don't want to hear anything. Whatever you found out when you were digging around, I don't want to hear it from you. I want to find out the things I need to know about Will _from Will_, not from the Internet."

"Don't be mad, I was just curious. I didn't read anything bad, if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm _not_ worried about that. We've had one date, Jane, and it was – it was perfect, I had a fantastic time, and I think Will did too. No, I _know _that Will did too. But you know what? The afterglow is wearing off pretty quickly, thanks to you."

"I'm just trying to look out for you, that's all," Jane said quietly.

"I can look out for myself!" Elizabeth nearly shouted, completely exasperated with her sister. She began to walk again, realizing that if she didn't, she'd end up being late for work. "What is it, exactly, that you're not saying to me? What do you _really_ want to say?" she asked, feeling as though Jane wasn't being totally forthcoming with her. "Don't hold back at this point." She heard Jane sigh, heard the hesitation in her voice when she began talking.

"I just – I'm worried that he's a bit too much for you. The money, the son, the volatile relationship with the father, the running away from New York...he's been the subject of more than one blurb in the gossip pages. And not just in the tabloids either, in the _big_ newspapers too. I just don't want you to get in over your head. I mean, what if he decides he belongs back in New York? Or what if...what if you're just a rebound relationship, someone he uses to get back into the swing of things again? I mean, everything I read said he was practically a recluse, holed up in his penthouse in New York after his wife died. And it wasn't for lack of options for, um, company; apparently, he's considered a very good catch, according to _New York _Magazine. But every time he's been seen over the past couple of years, he was either alone or with Jack or Georgiana, and even then it wasn't that often."

Elizabeth paled at her sister's words, not because of _what _she was saying, but because the words were really and truthfully coming from her mouth, like a never-ending torrent of verbal diarrhea. "I'm glad you've become so educated on Will Darcy, Jane. I'll have to remember that when I have any questions about him. I mean, it sounds like you know it all, so why ask him?"

"Lizzy –."

"I'm going to hang up now," Elizabeth said, cutting off her sister. "If this is you trying to be protective and looking out for me, I'd rather you didn't do either. Bye Jane." She ended the call and shoved her phone into her purse.

Behind her sunglasses, Elizabeth felt tears sting her eyes, and she was furious with herself for letting them come. _I cannot let her get me upset, cannot let her ruin my day._ Despite feeling sleep-deprived, she'd been on cloud nine all morning, a smile never far from her lips, and now she felt like she had been through the wringer. At the hands of Jane, no less! Her sister had always been her biggest supporter, especially over the past few years, and in the space of a short telephone conversation, Elizabeth felt completely undermined by her.

She thought about what Jane had said, about Will being 'too much' for her. Was it that, really, or was Jane more worried that Elizabeth wasn't enough for Will? Was she actually trying to tell Elizabeth that she needed to lower her expectations, and maybe not reach so high? Is _that_ what she meant when she said that Will might be too much for her?

As she arrived at the library, her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone from inside of her purse. Convinced it was Jane, she didn't bother to look at it, and instead just reached into her purse to press the button that would silence it. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the doors, determined to have a good day. _At this point, it can't get much worse._

* * *

Will sat back in a chair on his deck and took a sip of his ice-cold beer, looking at the nearly completed fort that sat in his backyard. Thankfully, Georgiana had taken charge just as she said she would, because he was completely useless. His mind would not stay on task, or if it did, it was for very short periods of time. No, his mind wasn't on hammering and measuring and constructing; instead, it was more pleasurably occupied by thoughts of brown eyes and soft lips and a laugh that made his stomach flip.

He had hoped to talk to Elizabeth this morning before she went to work, but he must have called too late, as she didn't answer her phone. It was probably a bit impulsive anyway, to call her so soon, but he just wanted to tell her that he had enjoyed himself, that was all. And maybe ask her out again. Maybe...invite her to dinner. Tonight. With him and Georgiana and Jack. Maybe. He wasn't sure, really, if he should do that or not; the last thing he wanted was to appear desperate or needy. He was neither of those things, and anyway, he didn't want to scare Elizabeth away by coming on too strong.

She appeared so confident at times, teasing him mercilessly and returning his kisses enthusiastically, but then at other times, she also seemed slightly skittish and unsure of herself. He was sure there was something to it, maybe something to do with the person Caroline had referred to as the 'nasty husband'. He would bide his time and wait until Elizabeth was ready to tell him about it.

"Hey!" he heard Georgiana yell to him. Glancing across the yard, he waved and smiled. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Um, I'm taking a break."

"From what, exactly? Daydreaming?"

"Shut up, Georgie."

"Dad, you shouldn't say shut up, it's not nice. You're supposed to say 'be quiet please'," Jack said, reprimanding his father seriously.

"Be quiet please, Georgie," Will called out, trying to hide his grin. "Sorry Jack."

"That's okay, just don't let it happen again," Jack answered, causing both Will and Georgiana to laugh.

Will disappeared into the house, and came out with two glasses of lemonade. "Come on up, have something to drink."

Jack and Georgiana came up onto the deck and seated themselves at the table, both taking long sips of their lemonade.

"We're almost done, Dad," Jack said, looking at the fort with excitement. "Can we get some chairs and stuff to put in it?"

"Yeah, sure, we'll get something," Will answered, nodding his head. "Maybe a little table too, you can eat in there when you have friends over."

"Yeah, that would be cool. Maybe Sam can come over tomorrow and we can play in it."

"Maybe," Will answered, not wanting to commit to that idea yet. "When do you think you'll head back to New York?" he asked, turning his attention to his sister.

"Why, are you trying to get rid of me already?"

Will shook his head. "No, absolutely not, you know you can stay as long as you want. I just didn't know if you'd been thinking about it or not."

Georgiana sighed. "Actually, I have. I think I'll probably go back tomorrow, or maybe Friday. I feel like I left things unfinished with Dad."

Jack finished his lemonade and rose from the table. "I'm goin' on my swing."

"Okay bud," Will answered, watching his son as he ran off of the deck and over to the large tree that held the tire swing, before returning his eyes back to Georgiana. "Don't feel like you have to rush off to make things better with Dad, G. He's not going anywhere."

"I know he isn't. It's different with me, though...you and Dad, you're almost used to having discord and issues between the two of you. It's not like that with him and me, though, and I don't like it when we argue. I always want to resolve it right away, instead of letting it fester and get worse."

Will nodded. "I can understand that."

Georgiana studied her brother for a moment. "You haven't said much about last night. Although, I have to say, you seem a bit distracted."

Will gave a short laugh. "Yeah, that's the perfect word for how I feel today. Distracted."

"Good distracted or bad distracted?"

"Good."

"So it was okay then? It went well?"

He nodded, and was unable to stop from smiling. "It was great, we had a nice time. I didn't want to say too much in front of Jack," he said, shrugging. "He doesn't miss a thing."

"Do you think you'll go out again?" Georgiana asked, curious about what her brother was thinking. It was apparent that he wasn't going to divulge much, though the smile on his face spoke volumes.

"I hope so. I want to...I think she does too. I guess we'll see." He could feel Georgiana's eyes boring into him. "What? Why are you staring?"

"I'm not, I'm sorry. I'm just happy for you, that's all. I'm glad you had fun."

"Thanks." He cleared his throat. "Listen, why don't you stick around until Friday, at least. I'll take you and Jack into Portland tomorrow night, we'll go have dinner somewhere. Maybe tonight we can just kick back and take it easy." He had already rethought his idea of inviting Elizabeth over, deciding that they'd have plenty of time to see each other once Georgiana was gone.

Georgiana thought for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, yeah, that sounds good. I'd love to go into Portland. Hey, what time does the pool close tonight?"

"Um, good question." He tried to remember what he saw on the sign the previous night. "I think it closes at seven."

"Maybe we can go swimming when we finish up here?"

"Sounds good to me, I know Jack will be up for it." He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearing three-thirty. "We don't have much more to do, right?" he asked as he stood. "Let's get her done."

* * *

Elizabeth's mood had dampened further when she realized that the call she had chosen not to answer this morning was actually from Will, and not Jane. He had left a short message, which she had listened to at least half a dozen times, enjoying the sound of his deep voice, smiling a little as she heard him trip over his words.

_Hi Elizabeth, it's Will. Um, I was just calling to say good morning, and to tell you that I had a nice time last night. With you. I hope you had a good time too, and I hope that we can go out again. Soon. I would really like that. So, um, you can call me back if you want, but I know you're at work, so if you can't, that's – that's okay, that's fine. Um, I'll just talk to you...when I talk to you. Okay, have a nice day. Bye._

Even thinking of his message made her smile, and again, she gave herself a mental kick for not even looking at her phone when it rang again this morning. She was convinced it was Jane, calling her back to either apologize...or make things worse. She thought about calling Will back now, but decided to wait until she was out of work in an hour, so that she wouldn't be interrupted.

The last hour seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, five o'clock had arrived and she was headed out the library doors, into the warm summer air. As she pulled her phone from her purse, Elizabeth felt a flash of insecurity as Jane's words from this morning echoed through her mind again. Determinedly, she pushed the thoughts aside, refusing to let her conversation with her sister spoil things for her again.

Taking a deep breath, she dialed Will's number and waited for him to pick up, which he did almost immediately

"Hello Elizabeth," he said. His voice was quiet, but she could tell that he was smiling.

"Hi Will," she answered, slowing her pace as she walked.

"How are you? How was work?"

"I'm fine, work was...work. Wednesdays are always busy, but that's okay, it made the time go by a little faster. Did you work on the fort today?"

"We did, and it's done. Georgie deserves most of the credit, she had everything all figured out. I just did what I was told."

Elizabeth chuckled. "I can't wait to see it."

"It looks great. We're celebrating with a swim at the pool, Georgie's in the water now with Jack. Are you on your way home?"

"Yes, I'm walking to the ferry as we speak. Oh, I'm sorry I missed your call this morning, by the way."

"I figured you were probably at work already. I should have called earlier. Did you get my message?"

She smiled. "I did. I had a nice time last night too."

"Good, I'm glad. Um, do you want to get together again? Maybe this weekend?"

"I'd like that."

"Great. Georgie leaves on Friday, at least she _thinks _she's leaving Friday, so that will work out." He paused. "I want to try to spend time with her, while she's here."

Elizabeth knew what he was saying. "You don't need to explain, I understand. It was nice of her to stay with Jack last night so that we could go out, tell her I said thank you."

"I will. Um, I hope I didn't keep you out too late."

She smiled widely. "You did, but that's okay. It was worth every yawn that slipped out of me today."

He chuckled. "Georgie told me I was distracted."

"Oh. Were you?"

"Yes," Will answered, his voice soft. "Very much so. I can't stop thinking about you."

"Really?" Elizabeth whispered, her heart pounding madly as she slowed to a stop on the sidewalk.

"Yes, really. Is that so hard to believe?"

She could hear the note of disbelief in his voice. "I – I don't know. Maybe." She began walking again, slowly heading down the cobblestone streets toward the ferry docks.

"No, no maybe. It's definitely _not_ hard to believe," he said, his voice still soft but adamant. "Trust me on that. Will I get to see you at all before the weekend? Even just to say hi?"

Her heart was singing. "I don't know. Maybe," she said, then began to laugh. "I sound like a broken record." She swallowed. "I hope I do get to see you...even just to say hi."

"Well then, I'll make sure that you do. Do you mind if I call you later?"

"No, of course not," she answered, smiling again.

"Okay. Alright. Good. So, I'll talk to you tonight."

Her smile widened. "Talk to you tonight. Bye Will."

"Bye Lizzy."

She hung up, and after walking a little more, she realized that every bad feeling, every negative, insecure thought that she'd had throughout the day had just been completely wiped away, by one five-minute phone call. As she boarded the ferry, her smile remained in place.

* * *

Will watched as Georgie and Jack played in the pool. Normally, he'd be right in there with them, but he wanted them to have as much time together as possible. He had plenty of time to talk to Georgiana at night, after Jack was in bed.

He thought back over the brief phone conversation he'd just had with Elizabeth. Why would she find it hard to believe that he couldn't stop thinking about her? God knows it was the absolute truth, she was never far from his thoughts all day – and he had the bruised thumbnail to prove it. It probably wasn't a wise idea to let his mind drift to kissing her when he was trying to pound in a nail. He'd howled in pain and had hopped around the yard clutching his hand like a character out of a cartoon, which had struck Georgie and Jack as enormously funny. Glancing down at his thumb, he saw the half-moon of bruising that had immediately begun to form under his nail, and he wiggled the digit to make sure it was still functioning.

_Saturday is way too far away_, he thought. He looked at his cell phone, and saw that it was nearing five-thirty. An idea struck him then. He walked to the edge of the pool and squatted down to have a brief conversation with Georgie and Jack, before leaving the pool area and heading to the Batmobile.

Fifteen minutes later he was sitting at the docks, at the very back of the lot, wondering if he was being too presumptuous, and questioning whether this little gesture would be interpreted by her as a creepy stalker thing. He hoped not. It was too late to leave, at any rate; the ferry was docking, and he could see the people standing inside, waiting to disembark. Which means they could see him, meaning Elizabeth may have already spotted him. _Shit._ He hated that he was second-guessing himself, when only twenty minutes ago, this had seemed like the best idea he'd had all day, a true light-bulb-over-the-head moment.

Within a few minutes, he saw her walking down the long ramp, her backpack slung over one shoulder. His eyes traveled over her, taking in the pale blue sundress that she wore, watching the gentle sway of her hips as she walked, before moving to her face. She had her sunglasses on, so he couldn't tell where she was looking at first; her expression gave nothing away. He got out of the cart and stood, wondering if she would notice him there, behind everyone else. She seemed to be facing him, but he wasn't sure, until...she smiled. A big, beautiful smile. He almost looked around, to see if there was someone else she could possibly be smiling that way at, but he knew he didn't need to. She was walking toward him now, and finally, he returned her smile.

_Oh, my gosh_, Elizabeth thought when she spotted Will standing near his golf cart at the back of the lot. _He came to pick me up. _Her heart did a funny little dance in her chest, and a surge of happiness shot through her at the sight of him, standing there in a t-shirt and swimsuit, his feet bare, looking simply gorgeous. She made her way through the small crowd of people and walked right up to him, not even trying to hide how happy she was to see him.

"Hi," she said quietly, still smiling brilliantly.

"Hi," he said, leaning in toward her a little and taking her backpack from her shoulder. "Need a lift?"

As he said the words, the oddest thing happened; the slight breeze moved the air around her toward him, and he caught the light scent of her shampoo or perfume, whatever it was, and he found himself smack-dab in the middle of a fairly graphic flashback to the dream he'd had this morning. She was naked in his bed, facing him, reaching for him, stroking him... He closed his eyes for a moment, torn between wanting the dream to play itself over again and wanting to end it to save himself some serious embarrassment.

When he opened his eyes, Elizabeth was staring at him oddly. "Are you alright?"

He nodded quickly. "I am, I'm fine. Sorry." The erotic images had disappeared, but he still felt lightheaded, as if too much blood had left his upper body and had rapidly headed south. He cleared his throat and focused. "I hope this is okay. Me showing up, I mean. To pick you up. You said that you were tired, so I thought you might like a ride home."

"Of course it's okay," she answered, still looking a bit puzzled as she took off her sunglasses and tucked them into her purse.

Will gestured to the cart, and Elizabeth walked around to get into the passenger seat. He dropped her backpack into the small storage area, and as he got settled behind the wheel, he reached over to take her hand and asked her what he had been wondering about earlier, while he was at the pool. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded but remained silent, keeping her eyes on his.

"Why did you question me when I told you I had been thinking about you all day? Why was that so hard to believe?"

Elizabeth felt her face flush, and realized she didn't know what to say to him. She couldn't tell him what she and Jane had discussed this morning, and how that short conversation had made her feel; full of self-doubt and completely inadequate. It had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with Elizabeth letting her sister get the best of her.

"I – I don't know. What was I supposed to say? _'Of course you were thinking about me all day'_? That would have been a little arrogant, don't you think?"

Will chuckled. "It would have been right on the money, actually." He stared at her for a moment, then released her hand, only to reach up and stroke her cheek.

She was convinced he was going to kiss her, as his body moved closer to hers, but instead, he spoke again.

"Should I have kept that to myself?" he asked softly before shrugging lightly. "I've already told you, I don't know what I'm doing. I – I dreamed about you this morning..." His voice trailed off as his thumb brushed her cheek before moving to stroke gently over her bottom lip. "And I _have _thought about you all day. Am I not supposed to tell you that? Am I supposed to – to keep you guessing?" He swallowed thickly, but his eyes never left hers. "I don't know how to do this."

"I thought about you all day too," Elizabeth said, the admission coming out in a breathless rush of words. "I – I was ridiculously upset when I realized I had missed your call, and I listened to your message...eight times." Her cheeks warmed while she spoke, but even so, it felt good to tell him.

Will leaned closer to her, until his face was mere inches from hers. "Only eight?" he said, raising one eyebrow.

Elizabeth began to laugh quietly, but he moved in to kiss her, and the laughter ebbed as rapidly as it had bubbled up. It wasn't a passionate, deep kiss; it was tender and gentle, and ended far too quickly for her liking.

Will pulled back slowly and smiled down at her. "So, is that a no then?"

Elizabeth's brows drew together. "No? To – to what? What was the question?"

He stroked his hand from her cheek, back into her hair and continued to smile. "The question was about keeping you guessing. I don't want to do that." He turned serious as he watched his hand glide through the dark brown waves. "I don't want to play hard to get, or – or make this into some kind of game. I don't want you to wonder how I feel, or what I'm thinking. I'm honest to a fault, and sometimes it's gotten me into trouble, but it's the only way I know how to be." Slowly, his smile returned. "So, when I tell you that you're beautiful," he said, pausing to watch as Elizabeth's cheeks flamed brighter, "or when I tell you that I can't wait to see you, or when I tell you that I've been thinking about you all day...you can believe me. Okay?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Okay."

Will sat back a little and looked around, as if suddenly realizing that they were still in the parking lot. Thankfully, the majority of the people had dispersed; there were only a few men standing around, probably dock workers, and they were paying no attention to the black golf cart at the back of the lot. Turning the key, he started the motor and headed out. He drove slowly, holding Elizabeth's hand, not saying much. He wanted to give her time to absorb what he'd just said. Hell, he needed the time to absorb that he'd actually _said_ it.

Not too long after, they pulled into the Gardiners' driveway, and Will was relieved to see that neither Maddie nor Ed were outside. He got out of the cart, as did Elizabeth, and after grabbing her backpack, he walked her to her door to say goodbye.

"Was it too much?" he asked, pushing her hair behind her ear as they faced each other on the small porch. She was leaning against the house, looking up at him seriously, and all he could think of was kissing away that pensive expression that she wore.

Elizabeth shook her head, knowing exactly what he was asking her. He wanted to know if _he_ was too much. Jane's earlier comments about him tried to take hold in her mind, but she forced them away. "No," she said quietly, reaching up to hold his wrist lightly with her hand. "No, it's not too much. I mean, it probably _should _be, but...it isn't."

"So I didn't come on too strong and scare you to death?"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "No." And it was true; she didn't feel scared, or nervous, or cornered, not at all. Instead, she felt an odd sense of calm envelop her, a feeling of serenity.

"Good," Will said, exhaling loudly as he felt a wave of relief wash through him. He lowered his hand from her hair. "Um, I – I should go. I left Georgie and Jack at the pool, and I promised them pizza tonight." His eyes widened slightly. "Do you – would you like to join us?" His earlier thought of sharing quality time with just Georgie and Jack didn't seem to have the same appeal now; he wanted to be with Elizabeth.

Elizabeth shook her head, remembering what he'd said earlier in regards to Georgiana. "No, you should spend time with your sister, especially if she's leaving soon."

"She would love it if you came over, so would Jack."

Smiling, Elizabeth reached up to hold his face in her hands, and pulled it down to hers so that she could kiss him. His hands moved to her waist, and she felt them tighten as the kiss deepened. Something warm unfurled in her stomach and spread throughout her body, causing her to move closer and press up against him.

The action spurred him to wrap his arms around her waist and hold her tightly to him as they kissed more. She inhaled the faint scent of sunscreen, mixed with the unique scent of his skin, and it seemed to surround her, invading her senses. Their tongues touched playfully, and again, just as he had last night, he seemed to concentrate completely on her mouth, molding it to his, turning the kiss into something electric and incredibly intimate. Needing to catch her breath, she pulled away, reluctantly breaking the kiss.

Will inhaled deeply, reigning in the sudden explosion of desire that had taken hold of him. He looked down into her eyes, their color so rich and dark, and cleared his throat. "Is that a yes?"

Sighing, she shook her head again. "No, it's not. I'm sorry." She laughed when he frowned dramatically. "Go hang out with Georgiana and Jack. You and I have plenty of time, don't we?"

He nodded, and placed his forehead against hers. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay." She gave him a quick kiss. "Thank you for coming to get me. Hands down, it was the best part of my day." Will smiled widely, revealing his dimples, causing her heart to trip into a double-time beat.

"Mine too," he said softly. He leaned in to kiss her again. "Bye Elizabeth."

"Bye Will. Have fun tonight." She laughed at the questionable expression that played across his face as he walked away, and waved as he took one last look back at her before disappearing around the corner of the Gardiners' house.

Sighing, she turned to walk into her house. _Definitely the best part of my day._

* * *

_Please leave a review if you have the time! Thanks!_


	16. Chapter 15

_I know that when I originally began posting this, I said that Tuesdays or Wednesdays would be my posting day. Then I changed it to Mondays...and it looks like now, it's going to be Sundays. Sorry for the constantly changing schedule! Thanks for reading along and leaving reviews, I really appreciate it, and thanks to my awesome betas, Jan and Mariana, for sticking with me. Onward!_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Elizabeth left work on Thursday with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She had talked to Charlotte on the phone after she got home from work last night, and had made plans to stay at her place tonight so that they could go out. Kate was invited too, but as of yet, Elizabeth hadn't heard whether or not she'd found someone to take her shift behind the bar at Grace.

Will also had called last night, as he said he would, and she had thanked him again for picking her up at the ferry. He had admitted to her then that he almost changed his mind and left, which surprised her. When she asked him why he'd decided to stay and wait for her, he told her the truth; he was worried she might have already seen him.

"It's not that I had second thoughts about seeing you," he'd said, hesitating slightly, "because I really, _really_ wanted to see you. I was just worried that you'd think I was some skeevy stalker, and maybe you'd be a little weirded out by the fact that I just showed up. I had these visions of you being really sweet and nice to me, but on the inside, you'd be completely freaking out that I was there."

_Honest to a fault_, he had said about himself. _That he is. _She had laughingly reassured him that he wasn't at all skeevy, and she was not weirded out _or_ freaking out.

"I thought it was sweet of you," she told him. "It was a nice surprise."

They hadn't stayed on the phone long, perhaps only twenty minutes or so, but he had mentioned getting together again over the weekend. The Portland Performing Arts Festival was taking place on Saturday, and when she had told him about it, he agreed that it sounded like fun.

"You know I'll have Jack with me, right?" Will had asked her, again sounding hesitant.

"I figured you would," she answered, wondering why he felt the need to mention it. "I don't mind, if that's what you're thinking."

Will sighed. "It's just that he's never had a sitter before, other than Mrs R or Georgie back in New York, and I know that at some point I'll have to find someone that I trust to keep an eye on him when I want to do things...without him," he said, emphasizing those last two words slightly.

_Without him._ Elizabeth was fairly sure she understood the implication there, that he could have been referring to spending time _with her, _and she had smiled a little. "Well, no worries, because this isn't one of those things," she'd said, wanting to put his mind at ease, and then deciding to be frank with him. "I know that you're not just Will, you're also Dad. You're a single parent, so there's someone else to consider. I understand that."

He thanked her, and she could clearly hear the relief in his voice.

"Plus, Jack will love it, there are performers of every type," she continued. "Some events are indoors, but most of them are outside, down at the waterfront, and at the park in the center of town. There are all kinds of vendors out, selling different foods, and there's usually a concert by a local band to close out the festival."

Will had agreed that it sounded great, although Elizabeth did mention that she had to work Saturday night at Grace. It would have been nice to ride the ferry back to the island together, but she'd be happy just spending the day with him. After that, they'd talked a little longer, about her plans to go out with Charlotte and possibly Kate, and about his plans to take Georgiana and Jack out to dinner in Portland. He'd asked her if she knew of a good restaurant that was kid-friendly, and she'd recommended Shay's Grill, knowing that they had a great menu, with plenty of choices that were suitable for kids.

She smiled as she walked, remembering the text he had sent her today, just after she had arrived at work.

_Good morning, beautiful._

That was it; she hadn't heard from him again, but she did respond with a 'good morning', and had laughed at the fact that he'd had her blushing over a text.

Now, after making the short walk from the library to Charlotte's apartment, Elizabeth sat on the couch sipping a cold beer while she waited for Charlotte to get ready. Her phone chimed with an incoming text, and thinking it was probably Kate, she looked at it immediately. She was surprised to see that it was from Will.

_Hi._

She grinned as she typed back. _Hi yourself._

_What are you doing?_

_Having a beer at Charlotte's while she gets ready. What are you doing?_

_Waiting for a table at Shay's. Nice place._

_I like it. Try the Bistro Steak, it's really good._

_Maybe I will. Where are you off to tonight?_

_I'm not really sure. Maybe Fore Play, or Gritty McDuffs. I'll let Charlotte lead the way._

_Sounds like fun. G leaves tomorrow morning._

_Tell her I said goodbye, and that it was nice to meet her._

_I will. I had a thought._

Elizabeth smiled. _Hmm. Should I be worried?_

_Ha ha. Always teasing. Would you like to join the Darcy men for movie night tomorrow night?_

_What's playing?_

_I think we're having a Shrek marathon._

Charlotte walked into the living room, distracting Elizabeth momentarily. "Is that Kate? What's the deal, is she coming or not?"

"Oh, um, no, it's not Kate." She looked back at her phone and finished typing.

_I would love to join you. Do you think Jack will mind?_

_Not at all. Talk to you tomorrow?_

_Okay. Have a good night._

_You too._

As Elizabeth looked up from her phone, she realized Charlotte was staring at her, eyes narrowed, lips pursed."Why are you grinning like that?" she asked suspiciously.

Elizabeth immediately tried to straighten her expression. "What do you mean?"

"You, over there on my couch, looking all gooey-eyed. Are you texting him?"

"Him who?"

"Oh, don't give me that 'him who' shit. Him. _Mr. Amazing Dimples_. That him."

"Ohhhhh, _him_. Yes, as a matter of fact, I was texting him," Elizabeth replied nonchalantly.

Charlotte looked more than a little surprised. "Oh. Really? You were?" She paused. "Why? Why were you texting him?"

"Well, he just wanted to say hi, and we sort of made plans for tomorrow night."

"You – you sort of made plans? What – what kind of plans? Am I missing something here? Is the earth rotating in, like, the opposite direction now? Are the planets aligned?"

Elizabeth laughed. "Well, I _think_ I _may_ have forgotten to tell you that we went out on a date. Did I forget to mention that?"

Charlotte's mouth dropped open in shock. "You went out on a date with him?! Shut the front door!" She moved across the room and sat next to Elizabeth on the couch. "When did you go out on a date? Where did you go? Why didn't you tell me?"

"We went out Tuesday night, but we just stayed on the island."

Charlotte threw both hands in the air. "Wait! Stop!" She got up and walked into her little kitchen and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, opened it, and then walked back to sit on the couch. "Okay. Talk to me, sister."

And so, Elizabeth did. Once again, though, she chose to keep some things to herself, mainly how she'd felt just being with him, how it had felt so right, like it was where she was meant to be. It's not that she thought Charlotte would think she was crazy, that wasn't it at all; she just wasn't ready to share those feelings yet, not when she was still trying to deal with them herself.

"Wow, Lizzy, holy shit. I have to meet this guy, right? I mean, he must be something. Did – did you kiss him? Is he a good kisser?"

"Um, yes, you'll get to meet him...I hope. At some point. And yes, I kissed him," Elizabeth answered, blushing again. "And yes, he is. A good kisser." She sighed. "Very good."

"Oh, that's awesome! Nothing worse than a crappy first kiss." Suddenly, she reached to hug Elizabeth. "I'm so happy for you! This is fantastic!"

"Charlotte, we're not getting married for crying out loud, it was one date," Elizabeth exclaimed, disentangling herself from Charlotte's arms. Elizabeth understood Charlotte's excitement, though, and knew where it stemmed from. Charlotte knew about her past, knew what she'd been through, and was seeing this as a huge moment for Elizabeth. _And it is_, Elizabeth thought.

"But it's good, you really like him, I can tell. You can't hide anything from me."

"I would never dream of trying," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes.

"What does Jane think?" Charlotte asked as she stood from the couch again. She walked over to where her purse sat on the table and pulled out her phone, absently checking to see if Kate had texted her. "You told her, right? She must be excited for you."

Elizabeth shrugged. "She is, but...we kind of got in an argument yesterday, and I haven't talked to her since."

"About what?" Charlotte asked, looking incredulous as she walked back to the couch and sat again. "You guys never fight."

"She just...she Googled Will, which is fine, I don't really care that she did that. I guess I wish that she had kept it to herself. I mean, she didn't tell me much, but...now she has all these _theories_ about him. She thinks he may be too much for me. Or maybe she thinks I'm not enough for him. It was hard to tell."

Charlotte's expression changed to one of indignation. "Why would he be too much for you? And why the hell wouldn't you be enough for him? What does that mean?"

"I don't know, Charlotte, I don't even know if that's what she meant. She thinks that because he's a widower, he has a son, and he moved here so suddenly...he may be _too much_." Elizabeth sighed. "Her words, not mine."

"That's ridiculous."

"And then she read that he's wealthy."

"Oh. He is?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I guess. I kind of had a feeling that maybe he was, but I didn't think too much about it. Anyway, I stopped her before she could tell me _how_ wealthy. And then she started to say something about his wife, and I didn't want to hear it from her. I don't want to know! Well, I _do _want to know, I do want to know about that part of his life, I'm definitely curious about it, but I don't want Jane to be the one who tells me." She paused to take a long sip of her beer, then continued on. "It would feel wrong to me if I sat down someday with Will – I mean, if we ever get to that point – and he started to tell me about his wife, or what happened to her, and I already know everything. It's unfair, don't you think? Or is that stupid?"

Charlotte shook her head. "It's not stupid, and I agree. I mean, I get her being curious and wanting to look him up. Honestly, if I had known you were going out with him, I probably would have done the same thing. But like you said, it's your first date, so maybe Jane shouldn't have said anything. Do you have any impressions though? Like, did you have any feelings after the date, whether or not this could lead to something? Or is it too soon?"

Elizabeth shrugged again, still hesitant to talk about her true feelings. "I don't know. But we had a great time, and we want to see each other again, so...that's that. Movies at his house tomorrow night, then the festival together on Saturday."

Charlotte smiled at Elizabeth and reached out to hold her hand, squeezing it tightly before releasing it. "I'm thrilled for you, Lizzy, I really am. Whatever comes of it, I'm just happy that you're out there, going for it."

Elizabeth returned her smile. "Thanks Charlotte, I knew you would be." Her phone chimed with another incoming text.

"Ooh, is it him again?"

Elizabeth glanced at her phone. "Nope, it's Kate. She got the night off! She wants to meet at Fore Play in half an hour."

Charlotte did a little dance in her seat. "Girl's night out!"

* * *

"How's everything going with Charles' new pub?" Georgiana asked Will as they sat in a booth at Shay's, waiting for their meals to be served. "Have you talked to him at all this week?"

Will nodded. "He called while we were at the beach today, while you and Jack were building your sand castle. He sounded a little frazzled, but that's to be expected. He's working on getting bids from contractors to come in and tear the place up."

"So he's starting from scratch?"

Will nodded. "Pretty much. There wasn't a lot he wanted to salvage from the old place. He wants a whole different vibe. The other place was strictly a bar, and he wants to have something more. He has some great ideas."

The server came with their food, setting it in front of them and checking to be sure they were all set before leaving them to eat.

"Auntie G, can I have the ketchup?" Jack asked.

"Please," Will reminded him.

"Please," Jack repeated, smiling sweetly at Georgiana, making her laugh.

With a flourish, Jack squirted a puddle of ketchup onto his plate.

"I think that's enough, pal. Watch your arms, you'll get it all over you."

"'Kay."

They were all silent for a few minutes as they tucked into their meals. Will had ordered the Bistro Steak, as Elizabeth had suggested, and he wasn't disappointed. Georgiana had ordered a fresh seafood stew, and Jack had opted for chicken tenders with fries and a salad. His version of a salad, anyway: iceberg lettuce and sliced cucumbers, saturated with ranch dressing.

"Good?" Will asked, watching Jack dig in enthusiastically.

Jack nodded in reply, unable to speak around his mouthful of food. After swallowing, he looked at Georgiana. "Auntie G, do you really hafta leave tomorrow?"

Georgiana smiled sadly at him. "I think I do, Jacky. Sorry. I'll come back again soon though, I promise."

"I wish you could stay for a longer time," Jack said, frowning. "We didn't even get to play in my fort a lot."

"I know we didn't. The next time I visit, we'll sleep out there, okay?"

Jack nodded, but brightened only a little. "'Kay."

Will slipped his arm around Jack's shoulders and squeezed him in a brief hug. "I'll miss Auntie G too."

They continued to talk as they ate, and when Jack mentioned that he was excited about watching _Shrek_ the next night, Will casually mentioned that Elizabeth might come over to join them. "She likes _Shrek_ too," he said, and was relieved when Jack smiled.

"Everybody likes _Shrek_, Dad. Are we going to story hour tomorrow?"

"Um, I don't know. Auntie G leaves late tomorrow morning, so we'll take her to the airport, and then we'll just have to see if we have time."

"'Kay."

When dinner was finished, they were given dessert menus, and although Will and Georgiana declined, Jack had already decided on a brownie sundae. Will ordered, and asked the server for three spoons – just in case. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearing eight, and knew they had a little over an hour before they had to be at the docks to catch the last ferry.

Less than ten minutes later, all three of them were sharing the sundae. From across the room, Will heard his name being called out, and looked up to see Caroline Bingley walking toward their table. She was with another woman, and both were smiling as they approached the Darcys.

"I can't believe you're here!" Caroline exclaimed, smiling widely.

Will stood, remembering manners that had been drilled into him ages ago, and smiled halfheartedly at her. "Hello Caroline."

"What are the chances we'd run into each other? Oh, this _is_ lucky, isn't it? I was just telling my friend Louisa about you! Louisa, this is Will Darcy. Will, this is Louisa Hurst, a good friend of mine."

Will shook the other woman's hand, and noticed that she blatantly looked him up and down like a side of beef.

"Nice to meet you, Will Darcy," she said quietly, holding his hand a bit too long. "I've heard such wonderful things about you, it's nice to finally meet you...in the flesh."

Will's eyebrows lifted a fraction. "Um, it's nice to meet you too." He pulled his hand from hers. "This is my sister, Georgiana, and my son, Jack."

Louisa's eyes flitted over them briefly. "Hello."

"Hello," Georgiana and Jack both replied, although Caroline was already beginning to speak again.

"We just finished dinner ourselves, and I happened to notice you hiding in the corner over here."

"Yes, we're just getting ready to leave," Will said as he sat back down.

"Oh, well, do you mind if we join you until you do?" Caroline asked, lowering herself onto the bench seat next to Will.

Georgiana, seeing what was happening, scooted into the booth further so that Louisa could sit, which she promptly did.

"Dad, I'm gettin' squished," Jack complained, trapped between his father's broad frame and the wall.

"We'll be leaving in a few minutes, Jack. Keep working on that sundae," Will replied, mentally urging his son to _eat quickly_. The smell of Caroline's perfume seemed to envelop him in a cloud, and he resisted the urge to lean away from her, not wanting to appear rude – or cause permanent injury to his son.

"What are you all doing after this?" Caroline asked, turning to look at Will while tossing her hair a little. "Checking out any more of the sights?"

"Ah, no, we're actually going to head back to the island. Georgiana leaves tomorrow, so...it's looking like an early night," Will responded, smiling weakly at Georgiana.

"Dad, I'm done with this," Jack said, pushing the bowl toward the center of the table. "I'm stuffed."

Will clapped his hands together once. "Well, then, that's our cue to leave."

Caroline and Louisa both rose from the table, followed by the three Darcys. "We're ready to leave as well," Caroline said as she smiled at Will. "Maybe we can walk a little with you."

Will glanced at Georgiana, who had remained completely silent. He sent her a pleading look, and she responded with an expression of helplessness, as if saying '_What do you want _me_ to do?_'

Once outside on the sidewalk, they began to walk toward Old Port. Georgiana walked with Jack, holding his hand, while Will walked behind them. Somehow he ended up flanked by Caroline and Louisa, and he felt trapped. He tried to walk a little faster, but that didn't help, they only adjusted their stride to his.

Up ahead, he spotted a sign hanging from the brick face of a building. _Four Play. That's one of the places Lizzy mentioned_, he thought. _I wonder if she went there. _Despite spending the evening with Georgie and Jack, she had never been very far from his thoughts, and he was already looking forward to spending more time with her tomorrow night.

His thoughts were interrupted by the feel of Caroline's hand as it wrapped around his upper arm. "It's a gorgeous night for a walk, isn't it? The air smells so sweet."

Will reached down to take Caroline's hand in order to remove it from his arm, and as fate would have it, Elizabeth and her girlfriends chose that moment to walk out of Four Play, all of them laughing hysterically at something, so much so that one of the women – he assumed it was Kate, remembering Charles' description of her – was doubled over and leaning against the building.

"Oh, Lizzy, you kill me," she was saying. "How you can make rejection sound so sweet is beyond me."

"Hey, she wants who she wants, and it's not _that_ guy," the other woman said.

_Charlotte_, Will guessed, briefly contemplating the little bit of conversation he'd just heard between the two women. _Rejection? Of who? _He didn't have much time to think on it before being distracted by Jack.

His son had spotted Elizabeth, of course, and instantly called out to her. "'Lizabeth! Hi!" he yelled, waving frantically.

Elizabeth turned toward the voice that had called out to her, and her eyes lit up at the sight of Jack walking with Georgiana. "Jack! Georgiana! Hi! This is a surprise!" Immediately, she looked behind them, searching for Will, and she found him...walking with Caroline. Caroline Bingley.

The eight of them stood there, facing each other in the center of the sidewalk, as if they were in the middle of a standoff. Will saw Elizabeth's smile disappear, and watched as it was quickly replaced by a look of confusion. His stomach plummeted as he saw the uncertainty in her expression and the question in her eyes as she noticed the way Caroline had draped herself on his arm.

"Well, look who it is!" Caroline said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster up. "It's Portland's very own version of The Three Musketeers. Out making the rounds of the bar scene, ladies?" She tightened her grip on Will's arm and leaned into him, even as she felt him trying to pull away from her. There was no way she was going to let this moment pass without letting these three little chits know that she was staking her claim on Will Darcy. "We just had a lovely dinner at Shay's. Fabulous food, wouldn't you say, Will?"

Will stared at Elizabeth and began to shake his head a little, hoping that she wasn't getting the wrong impression. "I – we – um, yes, the food was good, but –."

He was cut off by Caroline. "You should have seen Jack diving into that brownie sundae, what a treat that was to watch! I'd love to be able to eat anything I want." Her gaze flicked over Elizabeth. "Some of us obviously still do," she said under her breath, but loud enough so that Will would hear her. She wasn't above taking cheap shots if it was necessary, and obviously, from the way Will was looking at Elizabeth, it was definitely necessary.

Charlotte nudged Elizabeth and looked at her pointedly. Elizabeth finally snapped her eyes away from Will's and spoke, looking at her two friends again.

"Oh, um, Charlotte Lucas and Kate O'Leary, this is – this is Will Darcy, and his sister Georgiana, and his son Jack," she said, gesturing toward them distractedly. She looked back to Will again, unable to keep her eyes off of him and Caroline as she spoke to her friends. "You both already know Caroline and Louisa."

Everyone said a very awkward hello. The tension in the air was palpable, making the situation extremely uncomfortable. Kate merely nodded while she looked Will's way, obviously baffled by what she was seeing.

Charlotte, however, was a different story. She walked right up to Will and looked him straight in the eyes, before letting her gaze drop briefly to Caroline's hand, still wrapped snugly around his bicep. "Nice to meet you," she said quietly, her voice laced with false sweetness. "I think."

Will's mouth dropped open, but no words made their way out of it. Finally, as if coming out of a stupor, he pulled his arm out of Caroline's grasp, only to bump into Louisa, who seemed to be crowding toward him. _What the hell is going on? _He glanced at Georgiana, who stared back at him with a look of bewilderment on her face.

"It's – it's nice to meet you, too," he finally managed to say to Charlotte, who was now staring at Caroline with narrowed eyes. _I think._

"My Dad said you're comin' to watch _Shrek_ with us tomorrow night," Jack said as he stood in front of Elizabeth. "We're gonna watch all of 'em, and I get to stay up real late."

Elizabeth forced a smile as she looked down into Jack's face, though at this point, she felt precariously close to vomiting. "I – I may come over, yes. Maybe. We'll see."

She felt the eyes of the small group on her, felt _Will's_ eyes boring into her, and wanted to be anywhere but where she was at that moment. Her eyes flew to Kate's. "Um, should we go? We – we don't want to be late." She cringed at the lie – they were not expected anywhere, and therefore, wouldn't be late to wherever they ended up going. All Elizabeth knew was that she wanted to get the hell out of there.

"Off to another bar, are we?" Caroline remarked snidely, not missing Jack's comment about the movies. It threw her off her game, but only for a moment, and she refused to let it show. "Old habits _do_ die hard, don't they?"

Charlotte gave Caroline her most disdainful look. "You should know that better than anyone, Caroline. How's the restaurant business, by the way? Or have you tired of it, like you did the legal business?"

Caroline looked momentarily flustered, but recovered quickly. "I can't imagine what you mean."

With wide eyes, Georgiana looked at Will, Caroline and Louisa, then at Elizabeth, Charlotte and Kate. It was obvious that things were going to get heated, so she took Jack by the hand and walked him away from the group, pulling him toward the window of a candy store that was still open. She glanced back at Will, making sure that he saw her take Jack inside.

"Oh, so Chef Michael is old news already?" Charlotte fastened her steely gaze on Will. "It doesn't take long for you to find new…_habits_, does it?"

Caroline scowled, but managed to appear haughty. "Still bitter about your brother? I suggest you let him speak for himself; I imagine it's quite emasculating to have your sister fight your battles."

"I think being cheated on by a two-timing _slut_ is a little bit_ more_ emasculating, don't you think?"

Kate chose that moment to step in between the women. Caroline had no idea who she was up against; Charlotte would never back down, and had a way with words that would leave Caroline lying prone on the pavement, writhing in pain. "Okay, ladies, back to your corners. Lizzy, Charlotte, let's go. I believe we have dates waiting for us."

Both Elizabeth's and Will's eyes flew to Kate's face, and Elizabeth blanched. _What the hell is she talking about?_

Will was just as confused. _Dates?_ He had to talk to Elizabeth, as soon as possible. Like, _now_. He glanced at his watch, and saw that they had about twenty-five minutes to make the ferry. When he looked back up, Charlotte had already hooked her arm through Elizabeth's and was pulling her backwards.

"Okay, goodnight everyone, it's been a treat," Charlotte called out.

"Wait," Will finally said, finally finding his voice and breaking away from Caroline and Louisa. "Hold on, Elizabeth…wait, please." He reached for her wrist and tugged it gently, pulling her away from her friends so that they wouldn't be overheard. She looked up at him as they stood facing each other, and the wounded look in her eyes made his heart sink.

Unfortunately, he spoke without forethought, and gave voice to the first thing that popped into his muddled mind. "Do you – do you really have a date?"

Elizabeth's eyes widened slightly, and she pulled her arm from his grasp. "Goodnight Will." She turned to walk away from him, not looking back as she returned to her friends and they proceeded down the sidewalk. _I need to get away from him, and away from Caroline fucking Bingley._

Will began to walk after her, and called out her name, but she didn't turn around. His progress was then impeded by Jack, who came dashing out of the candy store, bag of goodies in hand. Will watched Elizabeth's rapidly retreating form, and sighed when he saw Charlotte wrap her arm around Elizabeth's shoulders as the three women walked away.

"Dad, Auntie G bought me some candy! Maybe we can have it tomorrow when we're watchin' Shrek."

"Sounds great, Jack," Will replied flatly, still keeping his eyes on Elizabeth.

Finally, he turned to face Caroline, who was still standing there, laughing and talking quietly with Louisa as if nothing untoward had occurred. It was funny, he thought, that she had decided that_ now_ was an appropriate time to leave him alone. Not fifteen minutes ago.. _Now_. Before he could say anything, she spoke up.

"Will, if you don't mind, I may join you and Georgiana and Jack on the ferry." She was hoping to prolong their time together, even if it meant sharing him with two other people. "I'm feeling a little tired, and think I should probably just call it a night."

Frustration and anger were slowly building up in Will's body, he could feel it in the tightness of his chest, but the last thing he wanted to do was call Caroline out, not in front of Jack. Instead, he answered her, his voice clipped. "It's not my ferry, Caroline, so you can do whatever you please."

His comment threw her, but once again, she recovered her wits quickly. She turned to speak to Louisa. "I'll call you tomorrow, let you know how I make out," she whispered, wiggling her eyebrows.

Louisa shook her head. "I don't know, honey, I don't think this is going to work in your favor." Her eyes flicked to Will, then back to Caroline. "He looks a little ticked off."

Caroline ventured a quick glance at Will. "Well, then, it's _all_ in my favor. He obviously needs a little comforting."

Louisa giggled. "You never give up, do you?"

"Oh, please," Caroline answered, looking smug. "It's way too soon to think of giving up. I just have to use different tactics."

Ten minutes later, after some serious power-walking, they arrived at the docks and boarded the ferry. Will hadn't spoken at all, not for the entire walk. _Thank God for Georgie_, he thought. She had kept Jack busy, chatting with him continuously as they made their way down the cobblestone streets to the waterfront. Caroline had been silent as well, which was just fine with Will. He didn't want to talk to her until they had some privacy.

Once Georgiana and Jack were seated comfortably at a table inside, Will asked Caroline if he could talk to her alone.

"Of course," she answered as she followed him outside.

The deck was surprisingly empty; the few passengers that were on this trip had apparently chosen to remain inside tonight. Will walked over to the railing and looked out at the dark ocean, toward the lights far ahead that marked the entrance into the harbor of Great Diamond Island.

Caroline stood next to him and reached to put her hand on his arm, as if to soothe him.

"Don't," he said firmly, backing away from her, putting one hand up as if to ward her off.

Her brows furrowed. "I'm sorry, I'm just a little confused. You look...angry or something."

"I _am_ angry." He sighed, trying to get the words straight in his mind before he blurted them out. "I'm trying to figure out why you feel like you have the right to be as familiar with me as you are. I don't believe I've led you on, not once." He looked at her closely. "Have I?"

Caroline's mouth opened, but she remained silent for a moment as she tried to think of something to say. She was more than a little embarrassed, and fought to hide it. "I – I thought that maybe you were attracted to me, you – you were staring at me that day, at the pool, and –."

"That day at the pool? That was what, two weeks ago or something?"

"I guess so, yes, about that."

"Okay, so I was staring at you. I'm probably not the first man who has looked at you, right? But since then, have I given you _any_ indication that I want to get to know you as – as more than a friend?"

Caroline sighed quietly. "No, I suppose not."

"So why do you hang all over me when you see me?" he asked, his voice firm. "Do you enjoy rejection or something? Because that's all you've gotten from me, and all you're _going_ to get from me. I have no interest in you, other than being your friend. Right now, even that's questionable."

Caroline felt her ire rising. "It's Elizabeth, isn't it? You're interested in _her, _aren't you?"

"That's none of your business," he answered, looking away from her. "I barely know you, do you honestly think I'm going to have a conversation with you about Elizabeth Bennet?"

Caroline went on as if he hadn't spoken. "My brother asked her out, do you know that?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I _do_ know that."

"And do you know anything about _her_?" Caroline asked. "Charles told me some of the things that she's talked to him about. She's loaded down with baggage. Why would you want to deal with all that? From what I understand, you have enough of your own."

Will glared at her again, his eyes lit with anger. "Don't push it, Caroline," he said, his voice low. "You don't know me, you don't know anything about my life, so don't stand there and talk to me about _baggage_. I'm sure you've got a few suitcases of your own packed away somewhere."

Thinking a different approach was in order, Caroline softened her features and moved a little closer to him, changing her tactics. "You're awfully wound up about this," she said, keeping her voice low. "I don't want to have an argument with you." Again, she stepped closer. "You know, there are other ways to let off steam. It's probably been a while for you, hasn't it? Since you've been...with someone?"

Will's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you – are you actually _propositioning_ me?" he asked incredulously. "Really?"

"You're so...tense," she said, letting her eyes drop first to his shoulders, then to his chest, "and maybe a little...frustrated?" Her heart was pounding as she spoke, but she wouldn't give up, not yet. "Why don't you let me help you with that? No one has to know, it can be our little secret." Tentatively, she raised a hand and placed it on his stomach. "I think you'll find that I'm quite adept at my own type of therapy."

Will felt like he was in the middle of a bad dream, or at the very least, had stepped into another man's life. He looked down at Caroline's hand as it rested on his stomach, and suddenly, alongside the anger pumping through his veins, he felt an urge to laugh. He took a step back, watching her hand fall away, and moved until he was a couple of feet away from her, then leaned back against the railing. He closed his eyes and fought to keep a serious expression, but it was difficult.

Caroline seemed determined to misinterpret his every action and expression, and so she took the pained look on his face as one that meant he was struggling with the decision, perhaps warring with himself as to what course of action was the correct one, and maybe finding it hard to say no to what she was offering. She decided a little more enticement was necessary.

"This is easy, Will. No strings attached, no big, deep, committed relationship." _Not yet_. "Just full-on sex. Two adults giving each other pleasure, enjoying each other."

"Friends with benefits," he said drolly, unable to look at her. "Is that it? Is that what you're offering?"

Caroline lit up with encouragement at the change in his demeanor – and at what she thought was a tentative interest on his part. "Yes, yes, exactly. Good friends with excellent fringe benefits."

"Giving each other pleasure, enjoying each other." He repeated her words, still amazed that he was one of the two people participating in this bizarre conversation.

"Yes. And believe me, you'll feel pleasure. Several times over, if I have my way."

That did it, he couldn't contain himself any longer. He dropped his head and quietly started laughing, but only for a moment; eventually his mirth subsided as his resentment of her, and of the situation she'd placed him and Elizabeth in, surfaced again. _This has to end now_, he thought, _before she embarrasses herself – and me – any further._

"Here's the thing, and you need to listen to me, and really absorb what I'm telling you," he said, turning to face her fully again. "_I'm not interested in you_. Or – or in having a friend with benefits. The whole – the whole _concept_ of that is completely unappealing to me. Call me old-fashioned, or a prude, or whatever, but..._no_. My answer is an unequivocal no. To be honest, you just don't _do _it for me. I'm not attracted to you. And after having this little conversation with you, I find you even less attractive."

Caroline's mouth dropped open, and in the outside lights surrounding the deck, he could see her face flush crimson. For a brief moment, he felt bad for her, but he knew the only way to get through to her was to be blunt.

"I'm sure there are a lot of guys that would jump at the chance to have that type of – of _arrangement_ with you." He shrugged. "I'm definitely not one of them." When he saw that he had rendered her speechless, he decided that now was as good a time as any to walk away from her. "I'm going back inside to sit with Georgie and Jack. I'll see you around."

Caroline watched Will as he walked back inside to join his sister and his son. Was she mortified and embarrassed? Yes, completely. Affronted? Humiliated? Deflated? Yes, yes, yes, on all counts. But was she discouraged? Not quite. Ready to surrender, wave the white flag? Mmm, not so much. He didn't give her an answer about Elizabeth Bennet, but in not giving her an answer...he unwittingly gave her an answer. _He has the hots for her. Her!_

She sighed as she leaned on the railing, watching as the lights of Great Diamond Island drew closer. It would only be a matter of time before he felt the frustration of trying to woo a woman as entirely _fucked up_ as Elizabeth Bennet.

Her brows furrowed for a moment as she thought about what Charles had told her about Elizabeth and her past. _Not much_, she realized. Just little tidbits...a bitter divorce, a slightly crazy husband... She couldn't remember all of it, but knew Charles wouldn't say more on the subject. For some reason, he had a soft spot for the little chit too! _Why are strong men always drawn to weak women? _She shook her head in disgust.

_I guess I'll have to do some digging on my own_, she thought, finally smiling again. _Perhaps it's time to liven up life on the island._

* * *

The noise and the pulsing music in The Basement, a dance club located inside a local venue called Asylum, was just what Elizabeth was craving at the moment. After walking away from Will outside of Fore Play, the three women had wandered down to Gritty McDuff's, where they'd had a bite to eat, before coming here. She sat at one of the bar tables, by herself for the moment, while Kate and Charlotte danced with each other to the pounding techno music.

Of course, to Charlotte and Kate, she had tried to play off that seeing Will with Caroline was no big deal. She was thankful that she hadn't gone into more detail with Charlotte about the things she and Will had discussed on their date, and the things he'd said to her after that. _I don't want to play games_, he'd said. She had a feeling, deep in her gut, that he _wasn't_ playing games, and that there was a misunderstanding at the root of all this. There had to be. She _knew_ how he felt about Caroline...and also knew how competitive Caroline could be, especially when a good-looking, wealthy man was the so-called 'prize'. Thinking back to the few things he'd said about Caroline, it just didn't add up.

Still, she felt slighted. More than slighted, she felt ignored and insulted. There they were, facing each other in the middle of the sidewalk, and he acted as if he hadn't spent two nights in a row kissing her, whispering in her ear, charming her and making her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time. It was like his feet had become cemented to the pavement. Not thirty minutes before that, she'd been telling Kate and Charlotte how romantic the date was, how sweet he was, and attentive, and how much she'd enjoyed being with him, kissing him...and then they see him outside, and he treats her as if she was a stranger. No sign of familiarity, no smile, _nothing_.

She realized that as much as Caroline was blatantly trying to come off as being with Will, and was trying to declare him her property, Elizabeth found that she wanted him to do the same thing, with _her_. Why hadn't he just walked up to her and hugged her? Or at least flashed those marvelous dimples, just for her? Or kissed her? Especially when Caroline was being so obvious?

_Then again_, Elizabeth thought, _why didn't I do the same?_ For a moment, she wondered what Will would have done if she had just walked up to him and planted one on him, a big, delicious kiss, right in front of Caroline and everyone else. _I would have been no better than Caroline_, she thought, _marking my territory_. The difference being, of course, that Will would have probably happily kissed her back. At least, she'd like to think he would have.

What _did _get her angry, though, were the first words out of Will's mouth to her; she couldn't believe he'd actually asked if she really had a date. _That_ had floored her. It wasn't "let me explain" or "this isn't what it looks like." Instead, he questioned her. She had laid into Kate a little bit for saying that bit about the dates, and Kate had apologized.

"You could have just said we needed to leave, you didn't need to say anything about us meeting dates. That was a little bit childish," Elizabeth had said to her over dinner.

"I know, but I was pissed off! I mean, is he playing you? With _Caroline?_" Kate had asked with concern. "He's fucking gorgeous, Lizzy, I'm sure he's got women falling at his feet."

"Yeah, maybe he's sowing his oats a little," Charlotte chimed in. "Caroline is a complete bitch, but we all know she gives it out freely to anyone with a fat wallet."

Elizabeth had shaken her head adamantly. "I'm sure it's not like that. And he doesn't have women falling at his feet, I know that for a fact. He hasn't had time to meet any. I'm sure it's just...it's nothing. And we've only had _one date_!" She sighed, wondering how many times those words had come out of her mouth since Wednesday morning.

Remembering how her two friends had looked at her then was painful. _Pity_, she thought. _They felt sorry for me, for the fact that I was trying to defend him._

And now, it had been her idea to come here, just to avoid talking about it anymore. What good would that do? She was sure she would hear from Will, that he would text her or call her or something, once he got back to the island. He wouldn't leave things the way they stood now. At least, she hoped he wouldn't. She wouldn't call him, definitely not. He had asked for time with his sister, and she was determined not to be intrusive. Furthermore, she wasn't a needy person; the last thing she was going to do was call him tonight to demand an explanation, or an apology. Although, an apology wouldn't hurt.

The only thing she needed from him was honesty, and eventually, she supposed, some patience, if they were to go any further. He had already told her he was honest to a fault, and so she hoped that the former was a given; the latter still remained to be seen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the feel of two large hands grabbing her shoulders from behind.

"Lizzy! What's up, buttercup?" John Lucas came around in front of her and planted a kiss on her cheek. "What are you doing here, all by yourself? Where's the rest of the terrible trio?"

"Hi John, I didn't know you were coming!" She noticed he still wore his work clothes, though his tie and jacket had been discarded at some point; obviously, he had come straight from his office to the club. "Your sister is out there in that throng of people somewhere, dancing with Kate." She gestured to the dance floor, filled to capacity with gyrating, jumping bodies.

"Come on, let's go find them," he said, taking her by the hand and pulling her behind him into the mass of people.

It didn't take long for them to locate Charlotte and Kate. John gave each of them a kiss on the cheek, and soon enough, the four of them were dancing in a tight circle. Elizabeth loved John, just as she would if he was her own brother. He and Charlotte were very close, and always had each other's backs. It did not surprise Elizabeth in the least when Charlotte confronted Caroline tonight; Charlotte never passed up the chance to get a jibe in when she could, especially since Caroline had treated John so poorly.

After spending another ten minutes or so on the dance floor, they wandered back to their table, all of them breathing heavily and beginning to break a sweat. John casually draped his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders and kissed her temple, hugging her a little at the same time. He was always affectionate, and though it took some getting used to at first, Elizabeth quickly came to learn that it was just who John Lucas was – a giant teddy bear.

More than one pair of female eyes rested on them – mainly on him – as they stood there, looking every bit like a young couple out on the town. John was handsome, in a country-boy kind of way. He could carry off a suit quite well, but looked just as attractive in a pair of jeans and a cowboy hat. His thick, light brown hair was cut short, which only served to show off his hazel-green eyes all the better. He was tall, about six feet, and had a lean but muscular build.

Elizabeth was so used to him putting his arm around her or hugging her, just as he did with Kate, that she never even gave it a second thought. She was completely oblivious to the stares, although she was quite aware of the fact that John always drew a lot of female attention.

"Where's Isabelle tonight?" Elizabeth asked him, referring to his newest girlfriend. Lately, she couldn't keep track of them.

"Gone," Charlotte answered for her brother, rolling her eyes. "Complained once about his long hours at work, and found herself out on her ass."

Elizabeth tilted her head and glared at John. "Izzy was nice! I liked her."

"Yeah, I liked her too, but hey," he said defensively, "I have a very, _very_ important job, with very random hours," he said, obviously poking fun at himself. "These women get what they get, and they should be grateful."

Elizabeth burst out laughing, as did Kate, while Charlotte only shook her head.

"C'mon, Lizzy Bee, we're going back on the floor," John said, grabbing Elizabeth's hand.

Elizabeth only had time for a quick sip of her beer before she was pulled along behind him, back out into the masses. He was fun to dance with, had great rhythm, and wasn't self-conscious at all. Grabbing her hand, he twirled her around, then attempted to dip her, which almost had disastrous results. They ended up doing the bump, knocking their hips together before he held onto her waist and came up behind her, although not too close, keeping a respectable distance between them, but making her sway her hips in time with his.

He began to sing nonsensical lyrics to the song that was playing, practically yelling them in her ear, and she couldn't help but laugh. She spun around and danced apart from him again, then watched as he gyrated up to two pretty blonde women that were making no secret of ogling him. Elizabeth laughed at the twin expressions on their faces; they were appalled, probably thinking that she was his girlfriend, and he had just ditched her. She gestured with her arms, as if she was pushing him over to them, letting them know that she was not _with_ him. Their expressions altered instantly, and both were soon smiling, as was John, as he became happily sandwiched between them.

Elizabeth started to leave the floor, as she had lost her partner, but Kate and Charlotte were making their way back on and made sure to keep Elizabeth with them. Soon enough, the three women were again dancing together, laughing and enjoying their girl's night out.

Across the club, Louisa Hurst sat with a few friends, watching Elizabeth Bennet as she danced with John Lucas. _Caroline definitely has a screw loose_, she thought. _She should have never let that man get away. _As much as she and Caroline were good friends, she didn't understand Caroline's penchant for rich men. Louisa would love to have wealth and security, but at the same time, she also knew that money wasn't everything. Louisa _came_ from money, and her parents were a perfect example of what it could do to a marriage, how it could destroy it. Still, watching Caroline 'go to work' on someone was quite entertaining, and therefore, she'd encourage her at every opportunity.

Louisa herself had nothing against Elizabeth Bennet; she barely knew the woman, and really had no desire to know her more. Seeing her dancing now with John Lucas, though, was undeniably a humorous thing. It was like a poorly written soap opera: Caroline had John, cheated on him and dumped him, and now it seemed that Elizabeth possibly had a thing with John. But then...Caroline wanted this Will Darcy, and sadly for Caroline, Will Darcy definitely wanted Elizabeth Bennet. Louisa could see it in the panic-stricken look on Darcy's face as they ran into Elizabeth outside of Four Play. He was completely enamored of her, and had no idea what to do to resolve the sticky situation he'd unintentionally landed in.

_It's all so amusing_, Louisa thought. She picked up her iPhone and began glancing through the photos she had just taken. John with his arm around Elizabeth, kissing her cheek, hugging her, dancing behind her, whispering in her ear... _Oh, these photos are going to put Caroline over the edge,_ she thought, laughing to herself. Even though Caroline had cheated on John Lucas, Louisa knew that Caro lived for the thought that John pined for her and wanted her back. _She needs to tell herself that, I suppose_, Louisa thought, lifting her eyebrows. _Whatever gets you through the night_. One by one, she began texting the photos to Caroline, captioning only one, with the words: _New couple? _

She knew she was stirring up trouble, but really, there was nothing else to do at the moment, so why not? _Knowing Caroline, she'll see it as a way to get into Will Darcy's bed. No doubt, she'll run right out and show them to him. _She finished sending the six photos, and put her phone away. Picking up her glass, she swallowed down the rest of her martini and bid her friends goodnight.

As she left the club, her phone had already started to ring.

* * *

So there we have it, another little dose of Caroline, and you got to meet Louisa. Any thoughts you'd care to share? I'd love to hear them, so please leave a comment if you have the time? Thanks!


	17. Chapter 16

_Okay, let's get on with it! Thanks to Jan and Mariana, my awesome betas, for all their help and support. And thanks to YOU, dear readers, for reading along and leaving reviews, I appreciate it so much! Just an FYI, next weeks post may be late...it will either be late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Thanks in advance for your patience!_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

Friday morning was unlike any other morning that Fitzwilliam Darcy, father of one five-year-old Jack Darcy, had ever experienced. His son seemed to have been replaced during the night by an angry, back-talking, stubborn clone. He was sulking, mulish, and outright bratty. After spending most of the morning bickering, the two Darcy males had another confrontation over breakfast.

"I don't want eggs," Jack said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Will sighed. "Fifteen minutes ago you told me you did, and I made them just the way you like them."

"I changed my mind," Jack said defiantly, pushing the plate away.

"Well, unfortunately for you, the eggs can't be put back in the shells." Will slid the plate of steaming eggs back toward his son. "_Eat_."

"No."

"Jack Louis Darcy –."

Jack pushed the plate away and crossed his arms again, staring straight at his father, his expression as challenging and stern as could be. "No. I don't want them."

Georgiana watched the interaction between father and son, and was surprised at Jack's behavior. In fact, she was surprised at both of them; Will wasn't in the best of moods either, but at least where he was concerned, she understood the reason why. Jack was another story.

"Jacky, come on, your dad just made those for you, they're nice and gooey and cheesy and they smell great," Georgiana urged.

"I said _I_ _don't want them_, and don't call me Jacky, that's a baby name," he said, turning his glare on his aunt.

_God, he looks just like Will when he does that_, she thought, almost smiling, but catching herself.

"Fine," Will said, scowling as he snatched the plate off the table. "_I'll_ eat them. You can have cereal, or go without breakfast, it's up to you."

Jack rose from the table. "I'm not hungry." He stalked out the sliding door, closing it loudly behind him, and ran across the deck and down the steps to the backyard, heading straight for his fort.

Will sighed and shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth, grimacing as he took a sip of coffee to wash it down. "Gah, I can't believe he eats those, they're awful. Too cheesy."

"He loves them," Georgiana said, shrugging. "Usually."

"Well, he doesn't love them today. He doesn't love anything today. Getting up, getting dressed, having a normal conversation...it's been one battle after another." He paused. "Maybe I take it for granted that he's always such an easy kid, he never argues with me. Well, rarely."

"Something is obviously bothering him." Georgiana thought she knew what it might be. "Do you think he's upset that I'm leaving?"

Will rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Oh, shit, of course that's it. It's obvious. And here I thought he was cranky from going to bed so late. I'm a fucking idiot."

Truth be told, he was so preoccupied with the events of the previous evening, he hadn't given the reason behind Jack's behavior a whole lot of thought. He felt unsettled and on edge, and knew he would remain that way until he had the chance to talk to Elizabeth and straighten everything out. Caroline's behavior to him was one thing, he could handle that – and felt that he did, on the ferry – but the display she put on in front of Elizabeth and her friends was another thing altogether. And then the '_date'_ comment, from Kate...it had sat, festering in the back of his mind, since last night.

"I'll go talk to him," Georgiana offered, rising from her seat at the table.

"No, no, I'll go," Will said, focusing his attention back on his son. "Why don't you make sure you have everything packed, maybe we'll walk around in Portland a bit before we have to head to the airport."

Georgiana nodded. "Okay."

She watched out the window as her brother walked across the backyard and knocked on the door of the fort. For a moment, it looked as though Jack wasn't going to let him in, but then the small door swung open and Will ducked inside, closing the door behind him. Inexplicably, tears came to her eyes, and she wiped them away. _He's doing such a great job with Jack_, she thought to herself. _I should tell him that more often_. She washed the few dishes and the skillet that Will had used to cook the eggs, then dried her hands and headed upstairs to finish packing.

"What's going on, Jack?" Will asked as he sat with his legs folded inside what were, to him, very cramped quarters. "Why all the battles today?"

Jack shrugged but said nothing.

"Come on, I can tell something is bothering you," Will said quietly. "I mean, for you to skip your cheesy eggs, it must be something serious. You can tell me anything, Jack, you know that."

Jack stared up at him, and Will watched as a tiny little tear slipped from one eye and slid down his cheek. "I don't want Auntie G to go back to New York," he said, his voice hoarse and filled with sadness. "I want her to stay here with us." More tears followed, but they were silent, slowly trickling down, making wet paths on his pink cheeks. "It's not fair that she has to go."

Will gently pulled Jack up into his lap and hugged him close to his chest. Tears automatically sprang to his own eyes as well, but he kept them in check. "I know you're going to miss her, I am too. Maybe we'll see if she can come back in a couple of weeks, and maybe bring Mrs Reynolds with her. Would you like that?"

"But that's far away," Jack said. "She doesn't have school, she said she's havin' a summer vacation too, just like me. Why can't she stay more?"

Will sighed. "You know what? If she said she wanted to, we'd let her, wouldn't we? But the thing is, she misses her friends, and she misses Grandpa and Mrs Reynolds."

"But when she goes back to New York, she's gonna miss us too."

Will nodded as he lightly rubbed Jack's back. "You're right, she will, just like she always tells you on the phone, right?"

"Mmhm."

"So, no matter where Auntie G goes, she's always going to be missing someone."

"It was easy when we lived in New York, 'cuz then she got to see all of us and she wasn't missin' anyone."

Will's hand stopped its movement as his stomach dropped. He swallowed and took a deep breath before he spoke. "Do you want to go back to New York, Jack? Did you like it better there?" He was relieved when Jack immediately shook his head.

"No, I like it here better. I like our house and I like the ocean and all the trees and our yard and this fort. I couldn't have all that stuff in New York." He sniffled and settled himself further into his father's chest. "But sometimes I miss Auntie G and Mrs Reynolds."

"I know you do, and I do too."

They were silent for a long moment until Jack spoke again, his voice almost a whisper. "Sometimes I pretend that Auntie G is my mom. If I had a mom, I would want her to be just like Auntie G."

Will's vision blurred with a rush of tears, and this time, he had to blink several times to clear them. It wasn't often, now, that Jack talked about his mom, or even _having_ a mom, so the sentiments caught Will completely off guard. _What do I say to that? _He took a deep breath, steadying himself before speaking.

"You do have a mom, she's just – she's not here with you. With us. But your mom loved you more than anything, Jack, and Auntie G loves you more than anything, too."

"And Mom loved you, and Auntie G loves you," Jack said quietly, turning to look up at Will, his deep violet eyes still wet.

Will nodded. "Yup, you're right. We're very lucky guys, aren't we?"

Jack nodded. "Yup."

"The thing is, we don't want to make Auntie G feel bad that she's leaving, right? We want her to be happy for the last couple of hours that she's here, not sad. It's okay to tell her we'll miss her, but we don't want her to feel like she's doing something wrong."

Jack shook his head. "I don't want Auntie G to feel bad."

"Good, neither do I. Should we go back in the house and start the morning all over again?"

Jack nodded, wiping his eyes, and smiled a little. "Yeah." He paused a moment, and looked up at Will. "Can you make me some eggs?"

* * *

Caroline sat sipping her coffee Friday morning, thinking about the events of the previous evening. As much as she loathed replaying the scene with Will on the ferry – and that's exactly what it was to her, a scene out of a horror movie – she needed to examine what had happened, where she had gone wrong.

Perhaps she had underestimated him, and his...scruples. Obviously, he wasn't the type to be easily swayed by the allures of the female form. He was indignant, offended, and put-off by her advances, not enticed or tempted, as she had hoped he would be.

She picked up her cell phone, laying on the table beside her coffee mug, and opened the text messages that Louisa had sent her from The Basement last night. Each text contained a picture, and she tried to look at them objectively, as if she was seeing them for the first time, without knowing the background of the relationship of the two people in them.

_Pointless,_ she thought. _I, for one, know that they've never been anything more than friends. So does everyone else. Once again, another man with a soft spot for Elizabeth Bennet._

Caroline remembered that while she was with John, it used to drive her nuts that he was so outwardly affectionate with Kate and Elizabeth. He was playful with them, always teasing and doting on them. They'd had several arguments about it, and Caroline wasn't proud of that; she'd let jealousy get the best of her, a trait that was very unattractive. Inevitably, though, the argument would end, neither side declaring victory, and instead calling a truce. Make-up sex always ensued, and Caroline could easily recall just how well John was able to show her who he _really_ wanted in his bed.

_It was a mistake, cheating on John with Michael_, she thought, feeling something akin to regret. She'd admit it to herself, but never to anyone else. And now, there John was, moving up into the higher legal circles of Portland, and where was Chef Michael? Participating in a twelve-step program somewhere in Augusta, last she heard.

For a while, Michael Moreau had been Portland's own mini-celebrity. He was gorgeous, in-demand, touted as being one of the best up-and-coming young chefs on the Eastern Seaboard – and he had wanted _her_. She got swept away willingly, and had desperately tried to juggle both men, but eventually turned her back on John without a second thought. Soon enough, she realized that the money Michael made from his five-star restaurant went toward supporting some very bad habits. It didn't take long for every penny he had to either get snorted up his nose or shot into his arm. The restaurant had gone bankrupt, and Michael had basically disappeared.

_Move on, girl, move on. _

She looked down at her phone again, flipping from one picture to the next. Could she go to Will and show him these pictures, and make him believe that Elizabeth was playing him for a fool? Yes, she could, by all means. But would she? No. He was angry at her already, and if she showed him these pictures, any chances of maintaining – and eventually furthering – some type of relationship with him would be devastated for good. There was no question of that.

Not only that, but Will would only have to ask Elizabeth, or even Charles or Kate or Charlotte, about Elizabeth's relationship with John, and the truth would come out; they were friends, nothing more, and never _had _been more.

She sighed and picked up her mug, taking a sip of the now tepid brew. One by one, she deleted the photos, deciding that ultimately, they wouldn't be part of any future course of action that she devised. Instead, she would just have to bide her time, and wait for another opportunity to come along, one that would allow her to get back into Will's good graces.

_There are bound to be chinks in that man's armor_, she thought. _I just have to wait until one reveals itself._

* * *

Elizabeth hurried into work Friday morning, running slightly behind schedule. Charlotte hadn't set her alarm clock for the right time, and they had both ended up scrambling to get ready for the day. She rushed into the library, and miraculously, was only fifteen minutes late.

"Mary! I'm here," she said quietly as she walked behind the counter to her desk. "Sorry I'm late. I stayed at Charlotte's, and we both overslept."

Mary raised an eyebrow. "More drinks with umbrellas?"

Elizabeth grinned. "No, no drinks with umbrellas, not this time. I stuck with beer, and only had a few. A children's library is not the ideal place to nurse a hangover."

"I wouldn't know," Mary said primly, offsetting her words with a roll of her eyes and a smile.

Elizabeth sat down at her desk and frowned. "Ugh, I just remembered that this is the last Friday of the month. I need to review all of the publisher's announcements. I know I have a bunch, do you have any?"

Mary typed rapidly on her keyboard. "Just a few, I'll email them to you."

On the last Friday of every month, Elizabeth reviewed all of the emails that came from several domestic and international publishing houses, alerting bookstores and libraries as to what each house would be releasing the following month. Mary was responsible for reading the pre-release reviews from independent sources, and from there, the two women were able to compile a list of new acquisitions they wished to make. It wasn't quite as tedious as Elizabeth made it sound; she liked being privy to what books would be available, and usually planned her own 'to read' list accordingly.

Elizabeth logged into her computer and started looking through her inbox, highlighting the announcements to print. "There aren't many, thankfully. I should be able to have a list ready pretty quickly. Are you reading the reviews?"

"Yes," Mary answered, "We'll have to cross-reference later."

"Okay," Elizabeth replied, as the first of forty-three announcements began to print.

"Are you reading at story hour later?" Mary asked.

Immediately, at the mention of story hour, her mind conjured up Will's face. "Um, I'm not sure. If I have time, maybe...who do we have for assistants today?"

Mary frowned. "Just Jill. I think someone might be on vacation."

Elizabeth sighed. "What about volunteers, anyone?"

Mary nodded toward an elderly man standing next to one of the long shelves of books, using a small feather duster to 'clean' them. Elizabeth looked at the man, then looked back at Mary.

"Hubert," they said simultaneously, then began laughing.

"I love Hu, I really do, but it takes him entirely too long to read a story," Mary said, shaking her head. "He's such a nice man, but the kids get too impatient waiting...for...him...to...finish...a...sentence." 

Elizabeth giggled. "I know, we can't have him read anymore. And Jill is just the opposite, she gets so nervous, she just flies through the story, tripping over every other word and turning as red as a beet."

"Guess that leaves you," Mary said, smiling. "You're the best, the kids love you. They're all scared of me."

"No, they aren't," Elizabeth argued halfheartedly. Truthfully, some of the kids _were_ scared of 'Mean Miss Mary', as Elizabeth had heard her called before. "They just don't know you. You have to make yourself more approachable."

"I don't _want _to be more approachable, I want to stay back here behind my little desk. _You_ are the approachable one."

"Mmm," Elizabeth murmured. _Not last night, apparently. _"Alright, I'm reading the announcements, no more idle chitchat."

"Ooh, yes ma'am," Mary replied, rolling her eyes. "Bossy."

Elizabeth tried to read the announcements, she had good intentions, but by the fourth or fifth one, her mind was already wandering. She had fully expected that Will would have texted or called her last night, but he didn't. _What if he thinks I really had a date?_ She frowned. _No, that can't be it. _Something about his body language last night, the way he held himself when he stood with Caroline, screamed out to her that the situation wasn't what it seemed. She wanted to believe that was the case...so why would he believe that she had a date? Forcing her attention back to the papers in front of her, she kept her mind away from Will and on her work.

* * *

Saying goodbye to Georgiana at the airport wasn't as traumatic as Will had envisioned; Jack was stoic, though the dampness in his eyes and the quiver in his chin gave him away. They couldn't follow her in too far, due to security, so as soon as she had disappeared through the metal detectors and into the main terminal, they walked back out to the truck.

Jack was mostly silent as they drove, and Will decided that he'd let him be sad for a bit, instead of trying to talk him out of it. He knew Jack would come around eventually, and it happened sooner than he thought it would; Jack's eyes lit up at the sight of the golden arches of a McDonald's, and of course, Will caved and pulled into the parking lot. They ordered their food and sat outside at a ridiculously uncomfortable metal picnic table, but the sun was shining, and Jack was beginning to perk up. _The healing properties of McNuggets and fries_, Will thought.

As they climbed back into the truck after their meal, Jack asked about going to the library for story hour. "I bet 'Lizabeth is gonna read. And how come she said she didn't know if she was watchin' all the _Shreks_ with us? You said she was comin' over."

Will looked at Jack seriously. "When did she say that?"

"Last night when we saw her. I told her we were watchin' 'em and I got to stay up late and she said _maybe_ she was comin', she said "_we'll see_._" _When _you_ say "_we'll see,"_ it always means no."

Will sighed. How did he forget about that? He had heard her answer Jack, loud and clear, but had been so distracted at the mention of her potential 'date' that he'd completely forgotten about it. And honestly, he'd been a coward today, all day. He knew he had to call her, and should have probably done so last night, but by the time they'd gotten home and he'd put Jack to bed, he was grouchy and confused, and completely embarrassed by his own behavior.

Even Georgiana had called him out on it last night; it was the first time in a long time that he'd heard her use the f-bomb.

"What was _that_ all about? What were you thinking?" she had asked as they sat out on the front porch, after Jack had fallen asleep. And literally, they sat _on_ the porch – he didn't have a lick of furniture out there yet. "Everything about tonight, from the time Caroline joined us until the time you finally ditched her, was like a scene from a bad movie."

"Or a bad dream," Will had said, remembering that he'd had that very same thought on the ferry. "And what do you mean, 'what was I thinking?'Wasn't it obvious that there were no productive thought processes occurring in my brain during that forty-five minutes of hell?" He laid back onto the hard wood of the porch, staring up at the dim recessed lights that cast a muted glow over them.

"Caroline is a snake," Georgiana said firmly. "You do know that, right? I mean, I've seen my share of soap operas. She's like the diabolical villainess of the quaint small town, trying to seduce all the rich men, stopping at nothing until she gets what she wants."

Will turned his head to look at his sister, one brow raised. "You watch too much television."

Georgiana ignored him. "I want to know what happened to you! It was like you swallowed your tongue along with all that chocolate sauce on Jack's sundae. You barely acknowledged Elizabeth! What the fuck was _that_ all about?"

"Georgie!"

"I'm sorry, but your behavior warrants the use of foul language. Most definitely. Like I said, you barely acknowledged her. You just went out on a date with her two nights ago, and you said you had such a good time –."

"I did. We did."

"Well, you could have fooled me, you might as well have been strangers standing there tonight! She didn't look happy when she walked away."

Will groaned. "No, she wasn't. I was a total fucking idiot, you're right." _A horse's ass_. "I asked her if she really had a date."

"Oh, good _grief_, Fitzwilliam. Of _course_ she didn't have a date!"

Will sat up. "How do you know?"

Georgiana rolled her eyes. "It's obvious her friend just said that to piss you off. She was being protective! Did you see the look on Elizabeth's face when her friend said that? She was mortified."

"Maybe because it was supposed to stay a secret."

Georgiana shook her head and sighed. "Ohhh, you are _so_ clueless. It was obvious that Elizabeth was just as surprised to hear that as you. You should call her, or at least text her."

Will looked at his watch. "It's too late."

Georgiana looked at him doubtfully.

"Hey, maybe it's not too late for you and your New York friends, but it's late for us Mainers," he said. "Plus, she's staying at Charlotte's, I don't want to...interrupt her time with her friends."

"Or interrupt her date."

"Shut up. You know, I was going to tell you how nice it was to have you here, but now...maybe not."

Georgiana smiled, knowing her brother was teasing her. "I had fun. And I _will_ be back soon. I may just make this place my summer getaway."

Will watched as her expression became more contemplative. "What are you going to say to Dad, about school? Have you decided?"

Georgiana shrugged. "I know what I'm going to say to him, I have that part straight in my mind, but I still don't know what I want to do." She paused and looked away. "I do have one thing that I seem to keep returning to, but I'm still not sure...so I'm not going to say anything yet." She smiled. "You'll be the first to know, though."

"If things get rough between you and Dad, you can always come back here."

She shook her head. "I'll come back, but not because of that. I have to stand up to him, not run away from him." Will looked at her oddly, but said nothing, and after a second, she realized why. "I'm not saying that you ran away, if that's what you're thinking. If I was you, and was in your situation, I would have done the same thing. Your life is more complicated, by far. I'm just a kid trying to figure out what she wants to go to college for."

Will nodded. "I know." She hadn't realized, though, how often he'd wondered if he'd done exactly what she'd said – run away.

"I'll go home," she continued, "say what I need to say, and that's that."

He smiled. "Good for you."

"I still think you should call Elizabeth," she said, one eyebrow raised.

He shook his head. "No, I don't want to call her now, not when she's with her friends."

Now, as he drove the truck in the direction of the parking garage near the docks, he once again reprimanded himself for being a coward. He had thought about texting her, but could two people really have a full conversation with texts? _Well, they probably could_, he thought, _but not the type of conversation we need to have_.

"Hey Jack, I have an idea. Why don't we park the truck and take a walk. We'll go to Mr Bingley's new pub to visit him, and then we'll go to story hour."

* * *

When Will and Jack arrived at the library, they were a little bit early, but it was by design; Will was hoping to be able to talk to Elizabeth privately, even if only for a minute. As Jack ran ahead of him, over to the playhouse, he looked around for Elizabeth but didn't see her.

Mary had noticed him right away, and was walking toward him with a small smile on her face.

"Are you looking for Elizabeth?"

"Um, yes, actually. Is – is she in today?"

Mary nodded. "Yes, she's just on her lunch break."

"Do you know if she's reading for story hour?"

"As far as I know, she is."

"Okay. Thank you." Will walked away from her and headed over to Jack.

Mary watched Will walk away, then hurried back to her desk and discreetly picked up her phone. She dialed Elizabeth's cell, and spoke quickly and quietly when Elizabeth picked up. "You have a visitor."

"I do? Who is it?"

"Who do you think? William. Will? Whatever you call him."

"Oh," Elizabeth answered, surprised to hear that he was there.

"He's with his little boy, I think they plan on staying for story hour.

"Oh. Um, okay. Thanks. I'll – I'll be there in a minute, I'm just next door."

"That's what I figured."

Less than five minutes later, Elizabeth walked into the main room of the Children's Library and immediately spotted Will sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs near the playhouse, reading a magazine. He glanced up, as if sensing she was there, and a small smile grew on his face, but she could see that he was unsure of how she would react to him being there; he looked uncertain.

She stared at him steadily, refusing to show just how happy she was to see him. And she _was_ happy; her stomach was already doing little somersaults at the sight of his handsome face. But the truth is, she would be much happier if he had at least made an attempt to reach out to her last night.

When Will saw the expression on Elizabeth's face, his smile faltered a bit. Taking a deep breath, he rose out of the chair and headed over to her, determined to try to set things straight. Her opinion of him already mattered so much; the last thing he wanted was for her to think poorly of him or his character. As he approached, he stuck his hands in the pockets of his shorts to prevent himself from reaching out to touch her, which he wanted to do very badly.

"Hi Lizzy," Will said softly, staring down into her eyes.

She decided that she wasn't ready to let him off the hook quite so easily, so she looked at him as if she had no idea who he was, and kept her expression impassive. "I'm sorry, have we met?"

Will gave her an almost comically pleading look. "Do you have any time left on your lunch break? Can we go somewhere to talk?"

Elizabeth took a small step back and turned her nose up a little. "I'm sorry, sir," she said with mock gravity, "you're being _entirely_ too forward andfamiliar with me."

Will understood, then, just what she was up to. After all, he'd sort of done the same thing to her last night.

"I can tell you're upset, and I don't blame you," he said softly, moving closer to her and looking her straight in the eyes. "I know I acted like a jerk. It probably won't be the last time, but I promise you, I'll always own up to it when it happens." He frowned slightly and shrugged. "Which could be, um, frequently, knowing me."

Her resolve wavered a bit as she took in his sincere, contrite expression, but she raised her brows and said nothing, deciding to let him squirm a little more…just a little.

Will could see that she was softening, and decided to try another tactic. He leaned toward her so that she could see directly into his eyes, and spoke quietly. "I just want to talk to you. Please?" His voice lowered. "I could be _a_ _lot_ more forward and familiar, but I don't think you want me to be, not in front of all these children and their parents," he said, now raising an eyebrow himself.

Elizabeth felt her skin flush, and watched his eyes follow the color as it spread from her chest all the way up to the roots of her hair. "Ohh...fine," she said, finally giving in._ He really is hard to resist. _She glanced at her watch. "I have about ten minutes left of my break."

She looked around the room, already crowded with children waiting for story hour to begin, which it would shortly. There was one spot in the corner where a single computer terminal was kept, used for locating books in the library catalog. It was available at the moment, and so she gestured toward it. "How about over there?"

Will nodded. "That's fine." As they began to walk over, he stopped trying to resist touching her, and placed his hand at the small of her back. He felt her spine stiffen, but only for a moment, and then it relaxed again.

"I'm surprised you're here," Elizabeth said softly, leaning back against the desk. She stood facing him and the room, so that she could see the goings-on of the kids that were reading and playing.

"Jack wanted to come, so..." Will shrugged.

"Oh, _Jack_ wanted to come?" She rephrased his statement as a question.

"Um, yes, but I – I did too. I want to explain about last night. It's not what you think. Or what you – what you thought." He looked away from Elizabeth, focusing on a random spot on the wall behind her, and let the words come steamrolling out of his mouth.

"She – Caroline – she just showed up at our table at Shay's, with that other woman, and they just...stayed. We – we didn't eat together, I didn't invite her, she just made herself comfortable while Jack ate dessert, and then they left when we left. I didn't plan it, I had no idea –."

"Will," Elizabeth said quietly, trying to interrupt him.

"– that she was going to be there, believe me. And she just – she's like a bad case of static cling, she just _sticks_ to you, I couldn't shake her off. And that other one, Louisa...between the two of them, I felt like the meat in a sandwich, they were just..._surrounding_ me. And the perfume, I swear I could smell it for hours after –."

"Will," Elizabeth repeated, trying again, finally drawing his eyes back to hers. "I know you weren't _with_ Caroline last night."

"You do?"

"Yes. I could tell by the look on your face. You looked shell-shocked," Elizabeth said, tilting her head a little. "It was obvious she had intruded on your night with Georgiana and Jack."

"I'm so relieved that you realize that," he said in a rush of words. "You're not – you're not angry?"

"No, I'm not angry," she said softly. "I was – I was disappointed, though, that you didn't even...I don't know, it was like you didn't even know me. You didn't smile, you didn't..." Her eyes pulled away from his in embarrassment. _You didn't kiss me._ "I wish you'd approached me, at least. I felt very awkward, standing there," she said, feeling her face redden, "remembering the way you – you _were_ on Tuesday night, with me, and then seeing you like that last night...it was confusing, to say the least."

"I am so, so sorry, I can't apologize enough," he said, his voice low, as he discreetly reached down to hold her hand loosely in his. "I was caught off-guard by the whole situation, and I was so worried about what you were thinking that I couldn't – I couldn't _move_, I didn't know what to do."

"I was just...I was embarrassed," Elizabeth admitted as she looked at him, "especially since I had just been...well, raving about you to Charlotte and Kate, and then there you were with Caroline..." Her voice trailed off as she looked away from him. "I felt – I felt foolish. When you finally pulled me aside, I was so relieved. Well, until you opened your mouth."

Will shook his head and looked away from her, a contrite expression on his face. "I didn't know what to think when your friend –."

"Kate."

"Yes, Kate...when she said you were going to be late for your dates...it just threw me."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "She was being childish, and wanted to get under your skin."

"Well, she'd be happy to know she succeeded. And how was I supposed to know that? On top of that, we – we haven't discussed..._this_," he said, squeezing her hand tightly.

"We haven't had the _opportunity_ to discuss this," Elizabeth said, squeezing his hand back. She looked away from him and shook her head. "That's part of it, I think, for me. Maybe I should have just walked right up to you, and kissed you, or hugged you –."

Will grinned a little. "That would have been nice."

Her eyes went back to his. "I'm sorry now that I didn't. I'm just not...I'm not that confident. Not yet. And then, not knowing what we are, or what we're doing..." Her voice trailed off as she stared into his dark eyes. "I'm sorry too."

Elizabeth noticed Mary standing near the counter, looking at her and pointing to her watch. She'd already gathered the kids in the reading area, and they were waiting patiently for Elizabeth to join them.

She looked back up at Will. "I have to go, the kids are waiting."

"I know." He turned to look over his shoulder, realizing that he'd forgotten all about his son. Spotting Jack seated on the rug, he turned back to Elizabeth and cleared his throat before speaking softly, searching her eyes. "I'd really like it if you came over tonight, and I know Jack would to. Will you consider it?"

She looked at him in confusion. "I already told you I was coming over."

"I know, but then Jack reminded me that you said_ maybe _you were coming over, that you weren't sure."

Elizabeth sighed. "That was just...I don't know, a knee-jerk reaction, I guess." She looked back up into his deep brown eyes and sighed. "How can I turn down the chance to watch _Shrek _with the Darcy men?"

Will smiled broadly, making her smile as well. "Great," he said, his voice filled with relief. He glanced over to the group of kids. "Um, the natives are getting restless, so I'll talk to you after you're done reading."

Elizabeth watched as his eyes slid down to her lips, then traveled slowly back up to her eyes.

"I have to admit that I'm having some...very forward and _very_ familiar thoughts," he said softly, moving a little closer to her. "I guess I'll wait until tonight, when we're alone, to...express them."

His thumb stroked over her wrist, shooting little jolts of electricity up her arm. "Yes, it's probably best if you do that." She could feel the warmth radiating from her face, and knew that she was blushing profusely. "I'll – I'll see you in a little bit." She squeezed his hand one more time, and heard him chuckle quietly as she walked away. Resisting the urge to fan her flaming cheeks, she made her way over to Mary, grabbing the book that she had picked out for story hour, and trying to get her wits together before she actually had to read it.

"Lord, you're red," Mary said, stating the obvious. "What did he say to you to make you turn _that_ color?"

Elizabeth smiled, but said nothing.

* * *

After work, Elizabeth had taken the ferry back to the island and had walked home, although Will had offered to pick her up. She had declined, deciding that she would probably need the walk to clear her head and wind down after the long week.

However, she _did_ agree to let Will pick her up at her house, and he and Jack were there by six-thirty. He had also offered to make her dinner, but she didn't want him to go through the trouble of cooking, so he suggested something light. To her surprise – and delight – he had picked up a scallop and risotto dish from the market. Little did he know it was one of her favorites, though she didn't indulge in it too often. He had fed Jack earlier, but had waited to eat with her.

They sat out on the back deck, making small talk, enjoying the meal and the wine Will had opened – the bottle of 'Horse's Ass' – before heading in to start the first movie.

"I thought it was appropriate," he'd said dryly as he raised his glass to her. "Here's to never being deserving of another bottle."

"One can always hope," Elizabeth said, raising an eyebrow as she toasted with him.

"I might be a lost cause," Will replied, smiling and poking fun at himself. "So let me apologize, in advance, for all the horse's ass moments that are sure to come. And, again, for the one last night."

Elizabeth laughed a little, but before she could say anything, he spoke again, turning serious.

"I mean it," he said, glancing away from her. "I'm sorry that I made you feel that way...the last thing I would want to do is hurt you, or make you feel humiliated. You don't deserve that, especially from me."

He looked at her again, and she could easily read the question in his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him, then whispered softly in his ear. "Apology accepted."

He smiled at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "Thank you."

She studied him as he stared off into the backyard, watching Jack as he went in and out of his fort. He was trying, she realized; _really_ trying to make whatever this was between them a good thing. Maybe a great thing, a wonderful thing. A lasting thing. More and more, she saw him coming out of his shell, revealing little pieces of himself. At the library today, and even now, he was honest with her, despite the fact that he found it hard to look her in the eye sometimes; it wasn't because he was being deceptive, it was because he was trying to hide his embarrassment and regret over his behavior.

"Hey, do you want to go for a walk?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh, I guess, sure. Where are we going?"

Will rose from the table and took her hand, leading her down the steps to the backyard. Once they were on the grass, he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her up against him, tucking her snugly under his arm and turning to kiss her head. It was such a small gesture, really, but one that made her full to bursting with glee.

"I want to go down that little path where Charles went with your sister," Will said, glancing up at the sky. "We'll still have light for a little while."

"Okay." She wrapped her arm around his waist, and as they walked along, she realized it felt natural, walking with him like this; they seemed to fit perfectly together, and the warmth coming from his body made her want to burrow further into him.

Jack trailed along after them, but once they found the path he bolted past them, ignoring his father's pleas to slow down. It didn't take them long to reach the rocky stretch of sand, and Will was amazed at the little slice of paradise that lay right outside his door.

"I had no idea this was even here. I mean, I have the view of the bay, but I didn't know this beach was right beyond my backyard." Jack had already removed his sandals, and was wading into the calm, flat tide. "Hey Jack, don't get too wet," Will called out.

"I won't," Jack answered as he hopped down the beach, going from one foot to the other and sending splashes of water everywhere.

Elizabeth and Will hung back, enjoying the view from the edge of the woods. "It's rocky, but it's nice," Will said. "I wonder if I could have it...I don't know, cleaned or something. Can I just get rid of the rocks?"

Elizabeth shrugged, still enjoying the weight of his arm around her shoulders. "I don't know, honestly. You would probably have to check with someone. Maddie might know what the rules are about those kinds of things, I'm sure she's been asked that before by clients." She could feel that his eyes were now on her and no longer focused on the beach, but she steadfastly refused to look in his direction, instead just smiling a little.

"Why are you grinning?" he asked quietly.

Her smile grew. "I can feel you glaring at me."

"I'm not glaring, I'm _staring_. There's a huge difference."

"Mmm, I know. You _used_ to glare, and now you stare, right?"

He waited a moment before answering, and turned her to face him so that he could wrap his arms around her waist and hold her close. "No, I was always staring," he said, a small grin playing across his lips. "Admiring."

The tone and softness of his voice perfectly matched the warmth in his eyes, and when he leaned to kiss her, she raised her lips to his willingly, holding onto his shoulders for support. It was a tender, gentle kiss, but Elizabeth sensed that Will seemed almost hesitant, almost as if he was unsure of how much he should ask for. Elizabeth raised a hand to cradle his cheek and kissed him back a bit more confidently, and he responded almost immediately to her silent encouragement, lightly teasing her tongue with his own.

"Hey!" they both heard at the same time, causing them to pull away quickly from each other. They looked down simultaneously into the face of their five-year-old spectator, his expression a mixture of disgust and curiosity. "You guys are kissin'."

Will nodded, and not knowing what else to do, he uttered a single word. "Yup."

"Oh." Jack looked away and frowned as if deep in thought, then looked back up at them. "So _now_ is 'Lizabeth your girlfriend?"

Will turned to look down into Elizabeth's surprised face, and grinned widely. "Yes, she is."

"Oh. That's good," Jack said as he meandered away, already bored with the topic.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows as she stared up at Will, trying very hard not to be overcome by the sight of his dimples and the declaration he'd just made. "_Way_ too familiar, _way_ too forward," she teased softly, but he wasn't listening; he was already in the process of kissing her again, letting his lips trace along her jaw, then to her neck, before bringing them to her lips again, for a longer, more thorough kiss. His hands stroked up her back and into her hair, then down again and around to rest on her hips, each of his thumbs making little circular motions over the material of her top. She leaned further into him, wanting their bodies to touch, wanting to have more contact with him.

Will groaned softly and slowly broke the kiss, drawing it out. He caught her bottom lip in his teeth and tugged playfully before leaning back to look at her. "I really, really like kissing you," he said, his voice noticeably rough.

Elizabeth smiled up at him, trying to steady her breathing. "Of course you do."

Will burst out laughing, remembering their conversation at the ferry docks on Wednesday. He pulled her into a hug, and placed a kiss on the top of her head as she wrapped her arms around his back. "Of course I do, exactly, but I should probably try to control myself in front of my son."

They stood that way for a moment longer, watching Jack, before Will called him back over so they could head back to the house.

"Yeah, time for _Shrek_!" Jack exclaimed excitedly as they walked down the path again, pumping his fist. "Shrek is the best ogre. Dad, why were you laughin' at the beach?"

Will smiled. "Elizabeth was being funny."

"Oh. Hey 'Lizabeth, do you know what else is funny?"

"Hmm," she said, making a big show of thinking about it. "I give up."

"My dad's name. It's Fitz-william, not just William. Isn't that a funny name? He's like soda, soda fitzes."

"_Fizzes_," Will replied drolly. "Soda _fizzes_, Jack."

Jack giggled. "Yeah, I know, I was just makin' a joke."

"You're a real comedian," Will said, grabbing him from behind as they entered the yard, and swinging him around wildly, to Jack's delight.

"Put me down, Fizz-william!" Jack yelled, only causing his father to twirl him faster, which was of course exactly what he wanted.

Elizabeth watched them play, and couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. She loved being here, loved being a part of this, seeing this side of Will, so playful and loving with his son. It caused a warmth to blossom inside of her, and she found that she had a hard time putting a name to exactly what it was she was feeling. _It's almost a sense of completeness, of wholeness_, she mused. _Something I could really get used to._

* * *

Within half an hour, the three of them were ensconced on the couch in Will's living room, watching _Shrek_. Jack had run upstairs to get into his pajamas, and when it was time to start the movie, he had insisted on sitting between them, a giant bowl of popcorn in his lap. Elizabeth tried to focus on the movie, she really did, but her mind kept wandering to the man sitting on the other side of Jack.

Of course, Will wasn't helping; he'd draped his arm along the back of the couch, having no problem reaching her. He had slipped his hand under her hair, and was very lightly but very deliberately massaging her neck, sometimes letting his hand wander up to rub her scalp. It was all she could do to not drop her head forward and moan; as it was, her eyes kept drifting closed, and more than once, she sighed out loud. Whenever she did, she could see his lips curl up slightly out of the corner of her eye; he knew his actions were having an effect on her.

About an hour into the movie, Jack asked for it to be paused so he could use the bathroom. As soon as he left the room, Will reached for Elizabeth and pulled her toward him, making her squeal and then giggle.

"You're sitting here now," he said firmly, settling her up against him. "I was getting jealous of my own son."

"Your son wasn't rubbing my neck," she said coyly, reaching up to kiss his jaw lightly.

"I certainly hope not." Will looked down at her and smiled, reaching to gently push a piece of hair off of her cheek. "He had grand dreams of watching every _Shrek_ movie tonight, but I don't think he'll make it beyond this one. He's usually in bed by nine the latest, and it's past that now." He leaned forward to lift their glasses of wine from the coffee table, and handed Elizabeth's to her. She sat up a little to take a sip, and turned her body to face him, studying him quietly.

He noticed her stare, but before he could ask what was on her mind, Jack came charging back into the room.

"Hey!" he said indignantly as he stood in front of the couch. "Where am I 'sposed to sit?"

"On the other side of Elizabeth," Will answered. "Shuffle your feet, lose your seat."

Jack sighed. "Alright."

Will started the movie again, and Elizabeth snuggled into him, stretching her legs out next to his and resting her feet on the coffee table. She smiled as she realized her feet only went as far as his calves, and then she noticed the size of his feet compared to hers, and she giggled quietly.

"What's so funny?" he asked in a whisper.

"Your feet," she whispered back.

He turned to stare at his feet. "My feet are funny?"

She nodded. "Sort of. They're just...huge. I could easily sail across Casco Bay in one of your shoes. You could put the ferry out of business."

Will's mouth opened and he was about to respond, but Jack leaned forward and glared at them, shushing them quite firmly, making them both laugh guiltily.

"Sorry," Elizabeth whispered.

Not too long after that, toward the end of the movie, Elizabeth felt the weight of Jack's small body as it settled against her, and could tell by his even breathing that he had fallen asleep. She nudged Will, and nodded toward his sleeping son.

Will smiled. "I knew he'd never make it," he said quietly. Standing from the couch, he leaned down to lift Jack up, stopping first to give Elizabeth a kiss before hoisting him into his arms. "I'll be right back."

Elizabeth nodded, and as Will left the room and headed upstairs with Jack, she rose and walked into the kitchen, carrying the glasses of wine. Leaving them on the counter, she went back into the living room and retrieved the now-empty bowl of popcorn and took that into the kitchen as well, dumping the remaining half-popped kernels into the garbage. She washed the popcorn bowl and her wine glass, but left his, unsure if he'd want a refill.

He came back downstairs a moment later, smiling. "Out cold. I don't think that kid has ever slept as well as he does here. It's amazing."

"Really?" Elizabeth said, leaning against the counter as she dried her hands. "Maybe the noise of the city kept him awake at night?"

Will shook his head. "No, it was very quiet in our apartment, believe me. I think it's just the air here. He's always outside, running around, or we're walking in Portland, or swimming...it's non-stop." His eyes traveled to the bowl on the counter. "You didn't have to wash that, Lizzy, you could have just left it in the sink."

She shrugged. "I didn't mind. I left your glass, though, I didn't know if you wanted more."

"I do want more, but not more wine," he said, reaching to take the towel that she held from her hands before tossing it onto the counter. He stood in front of her and placed one hand on either side of her body on the edge of the counter, effectively trapping her.

Elizabeth's heartbeat immediately surged to a rapid pace, and she felt a warm flush moving up her body from her chest. He placed his hands on her waist suddenly, and without skipping a beat, he lifted her and sat her on the island. It was done so quickly that Elizabeth didn't even have time to react. Now, when he stood in front of her, they were just about face to face.

Will stood between her knees, his hands on the outside of her thighs, resting on the counter. Again, she was held captive.

"Do you know what I thought of a little while ago?" he asked her quietly.

She shook her head mutely.

"I realized that I can't drive you home. I can't leave Jack here by himself, even if it's just for twenty minutes."

_Oh geez, he's right_, Elizabeth realized. "I'm – it's okay, I can walk. I don't mind walking."

Will looked at her and pursed his lips, shaking his head at the same time. "I'm not going to let you walk home, not in the dark. It's too late."

She sighed and tilted her head. "It's not _late_, it's not even ten o'clock, there will be plenty of people out and about still."

"No, you're right, it's not too late _now_, but who said anything about you leaving _now_?" He moved in closer and kissed her lightly on the lips before pulling back again. "By the time you leave, it will be late."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. Well, not, you know, _scandalously_ late, but...well, later than it is now. Ten o'clock is like," he stopped talking to kiss her again, a little longer this time, then continued on, "it's like middle school late. Not grown-up late."

"So...how am I getting home then?" she asked, curious as to what his answer would be.

"Well...I thought I'd just keep you here."

Her eyes widened significantly, and her mouth dropped open slightly. "I...I...but I can't...do you mean –."

Will began to chuckle a little. "I'm just teasing," he said softly, leaning further in toward her. _But I thought about it. _"You can take the cart home, I'll get it tomorrow."

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head a little, feeling her cheeks flame and looking everywhere but at him. He reached up to stroke her cheek with one hand, pulling her chin gently, encouraging her eyes to focus on his. She was trembling a little bit, she could feel it in her limbs, and wondered if he could feel it as well.

"Do I make you nervous when I say things like that?" he asked, concerned about the slight shakiness that was radiating from her body.

She gave a barely perceptible nod. "A little bit, yes."

He leaned forward to kiss her again. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to."

Elizabeth nodded and looked away from him. "I know that."

"What – why do you get nervous?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

Her faced pinked even more, but like him, she wanted to be open and honest. "I don't have a very good track record as far as relationships go," she admitted, looking at him again, forcing herself to maintain eye contact, "and as far as – as being physical, having – having that type of – of physical relationship with someone, with a man, I don't have a lot of – of experience." She was stuttering and stumbling, but she couldn't help it; it was a difficult thing to talk about, and here they were, on their...third date?...discussing her dearth of sexual experience.

Taking a deep breath, she forged ahead. "On – on top of that, the experiences that I _have_ had weren't always, um, pleasant."

Will's eyes hadn't left her face; he was staring at her, completely fixated on her body language and her words. He moved his hands to her shoulders and gently massaged, hoping to relax her. "Are you afraid of me? Afraid of me touching you like this, or kissing you?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, not at all. I love kissing you." She leaned forward and did just that, as if to prove to him that she was being truthful, and he kissed her back tenderly, caressing her lips with his. They broke apart, and she reached up to stroke his cheek. "It's just that I know what will follow...eventually, and when I think about that, I start to panic. A bit."

Will continued to rub her shoulders, understanding better what it was at the root of her nervousness. Little did she know, he was just as nervous; it just didn't show, not like it did with her. "_Eventually_ is not now, it's not tomorrow or even next week or next month. It's whenever you decide it is. We have a lot to learn about each other before anything like that happens."

He leaned toward her, kissing one corner of her mouth. "In the meantime," he said in a whisper, before kissing the other corner, "we can just kiss," his lips slid to her jaw, "as much as you want."

Will moved in closer to Elizabeth and continued his slow, sensuous pace, letting his hands drift from her shoulders until one was holding her lightly at the nape of her neck, the other gently cupping her cheek. His lips moved back to hers and she opened to him, welcoming the feel of his lips and the taste of his tongue. She vaguely realized that her nerves had quieted and her trembling had completely disappeared. Feeling emboldened, she took control of the kiss, experimenting, playing with his mouth, trying different things to see what he liked.

What he _did_ like, Elizabeth discovered, was to have his bottom lip played with – licked, bit, suckled – he enjoyed it all, and groaned appreciatively whenever she indulged him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him close, as close as she could in their position, and they kissed for a long time; how long, she couldn't say, because she'd completely lost track of time. She felt his hands slide back to her shoulders, then down her sides until they rested firmly on her hips, anchoring her to the counter.

Will was so aroused, he felt like he was going to go off at any moment. She had no idea what she was doing to him, which thrilled him to no end. This woman in his arms, who had just admitted to having very little experience with men, was acting on pure instinct with him. She was sexy and playful and he was completely drowning in her.

Slowly, he moved his hands up her sides, until they were resting lightly on her rib cage. He felt her tense, a barely perceptible tightening in her muscles, and felt the way she lost the kiss just for a moment, before she relaxed and focused on his lips again. Continuing to move his hands, he rested them at the sides of her breasts. Not fondling, not caressing, just...resting them there, even as their kiss deepened more.

Will's actions brought Elizabeth back – just enough – from the fog that she was in. When his hands moved again, she felt what she assumed were his thumbs, just gently stroking along the sides of each of her breasts, very slowly and very, very lightly. Again, she felt tension settle, and this time, she couldn't push it away.

_It's too much_, she thought anxiously, _this is too much. _She pulled away from him, gasping for breath, and was appalled to see that her knees were actually _gripping_ his hips. He didn't lower his hands, at least not until she lowered hers and pushed a little bit against his chest, leaning back and away from him. He immediately dropped his hands and let them rest on the counter on either side of her. He was breathing heavily too, and she could see that he was very obviously aroused; his shorts did little to hide it.

"I'm – I'm sorry," she murmured, trying to speak through lips that felt swollen. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him.

Will moved his head until he could catch her eye, trying to slow his breathing. "Why are you sorry? For what?" he asked, his voice hoarse. He watched as her eyes quickly flickered down to below his waist before rising to his face again, and he immediately figured out her reason for apologizing. "You're not apologizing for my...um, physical state, are you?" Her eyes moved away from his once again.

"Lizzy, look at me." He waited until she did. "That's nothing to be sorry for, and it's certainly nothing that I would blame you for." Pausing, he thought about their date on Tuesday, and knew that when he kissed her at the end of the night, she must have felt how aroused he was then. At least, he assumed she must have. "It's not the first time it's happened, you know that." He watched as her eyes filled, and felt absolutely helpless.

"I'm not a tease," she whispered. "I'm sorry if I – if I led you on. Kissing you is – it's _perfect_, and I just got carried away."

"And so did I, and that's okay. I would never think of you as a tease, Lizzy, never." He knew, then, that she was possibly dealing with bigger things than a lack of sexual experience, or even _bad_ sexual experiences. Someone had hurt her, this beautiful woman trembling in front of him. Sighing, he raised both of his hands to cup her face, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. "It's not very late, you know. Do you want to go sit and talk?" She looked at him warily, and he smiled, just a little. "Just talk, I promise."

_This is it_, Elizabeth thought. _If this is going to go anywhere – and Lord knows I want it to, so badly – I need to do this. I _have_ to do this. _She looked at him and nodded, swallowing tightly. "Yes. Okay. Let's – let's talk."

* * *

_So, did that turn out the way you thought it would? Please leave a review if you have the time. Thank you!_


	18. Chapter 17

_Thanks to Mariana and Jan for wielding the red pen for me,_ _and thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing. Let's get to some talking._

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_Right from the start you were a thief, you stole my heart_

_and I, your willing victim._

_I let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty_

_and with every touch you fixed them._

_Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough_

_Just a second, we're not broken, just bent_

_and we can learn to love again._

_It's in the stars, it's been written in the scars on our hearts_

_that we're not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again.*_

"Where would you like to sit?" Will asked, wanting to make sure Elizabeth was comfortable. "We can go outside onto the porch...no, wait, scratch that. No furniture. We can go out on the back deck, or sit in the living room again..." He looked at her expectantly, waiting to follow her lead.

"The living room is fine," she said quietly, gesturing toward the doorway that led there from the kitchen. "It's cozy."

He smiled a little. "It is."

She walked ahead of him into the room, and he noticed that she opted to sit in the large chair that was set back in a corner, facing toward the couch. He guessed that she wanted to maintain some distance between them; maybe it would be easier for her to talk if they weren't sitting too close together. He settled into the couch, trying to get comfortable, but it just didn't feel right to have her across the room from him. Just as he was having that thought, Elizabeth spoke.

"I can't sit over here," she said quietly, frowning a little. "I want to sit with you."

Will smiled softly, and without saying a word, lifted his arms and held them open. She accepted the invitation readily, rising from the chair and walking over to the couch. He tugged her down gently onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her head as she snuggled into him.

"Ohh, this is so much better," she said, sighing deeply, "but unfortunately, it's also distracting. I think I should just sit next to you." She slid from his lap and onto the cushions, and rested her head against his shoulder as they both stretched their legs out onto the coffee table, just as they did earlier while watching the movie.

The silence lengthened, with only the sounds of the night coming through the open windows. Will didn't want to say anything, didn't want to _do_ anything other than what he was doing now – holding her close and waiting patiently. Finally, she spoke.

"I was just thinking how odd it is to sit down with the intention of having a discussion about a very specific thing...something that you _know_ you can go on and on about...and yet, not have a clue as to how to begin talking about it. I don't know where to start."

Will thought for a moment. "How about if I ask you some questions?" he suggested. His left arm was wrapped snugly around her shoulders, and he let his fingertips trace a pattern on the upper part of her left arm. "Maybe that will help."

She nodded against him. "Okay."

"Okay." He cleared his throat and kissed her head. "So...you were married at one time?"

Elizabeth nodded again. "Yes. Right out of college, pretty much."

"You must have been...about twenty-two or so?"

"Mmhm. My husband, my _ex_-husband, is a year older than me. We went to the same college, that's – that's where we met. My freshman year." She thought of Bill as he was then – handsome, charming, thoughtful, although a bit of an introvert – and once again, failed at trying to reconcile him with the Bill that she had eventually divorced. They were two distinctly different men.

"How long were you married?" Will asked. At the moment, he was feeling a mixture of curiosity and dread; he wanted to know more about her, and about what had happened in her past, but was almost fearful of learning about her ex-husband and what he had done.

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Not long. I filed for divorce within fourteen months."

"Wow."

Elizabeth turned to look up at him. "How long were you married?"

Will was surprised by the question. "I thought we were talking about you?"

She looked at him blankly. "We are, but...I'm just curious. Why can't we talk about both of us?"

"We – we can, of course we can. Um, I was married for almost three years." _Nine hundred and ninety-nine days, to be exact. _He'd had that number committed to memory, though he hadn't thought of it in a while.

"Were you together for a long time before that?"

He nodded. "Yeah, we were."

Elizabeth looked down, and reached to pull his free hand into her lap so that she could wrap her fingers around his. "Did you – were you happy? Did you have a good marriage?" Elizabeth asked softly, wanting to know if he'd had what she had _wanted_ to have, what she _thought_ she could have, with Bill.

"Yes, I think we did," Will answered somberly as his mind rapidly sifted through dozens of memories of Anne and their marriage. "I mean, it wasn't perfect, but it was...it was good. We loved each other."

Elizabeth played with Will's hand, tracing his fingers with hers, absorbing what he'd just said. _He was happily married, he loved his wife...and she was taken from him_. She lifted his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. "I'm sorry that you lost her, and that Jack lost his mom," she whispered, then kissed his palm again before placing his hand back in her lap, keeping their fingers laced together.

Will was almost rendered speechless by the sincerity and compassion in her voice. "Thank you."

After another drawn-out moment of silence, Elizabeth spoke again. "My marriage was good, for about four months...and then things just started to change. _He_ started to change."

"In what way?" Will asked, watching Elizabeth play with his hand, knowing she was doing it out of nervousness. He didn't mind; if it calmed her, she was welcome to it.

She shrugged. "It was little things, at first. Having his laundry done a certain way, being picky about the way things were arranged in the kitchen cabinets...he used to say, "_Labels out, Elizabeth_," as if he was reprimanding a – a small child. It bothered me, but it wasn't a big deal. I used to roll my eyes whenever he said it, and he'd just look at me..."

Will could see that she was becoming lost in a memory, so he gently squeezed her shoulder to bring her back. She glanced up at him. "Sorry."

"It's okay."

"See, what I didn't realize was that he'd lost his job, right around the time that all of this started happening." She was focused on his hand again, running her fingertips over the back of it, tracing the paths of his veins. "He left the house every morning, just as if he was going to work, but he wasn't. I don't – I _still_ don't know exactly what he was doing all day. Looking for another job, I suppose." She shook her head in frustration. "I should have known something was going on when he told me not to call him at work anymore. I had to call his cell phone and leave a message if I needed to talk to him; he said that his co-workers were getting in trouble for personal phone calls.

"As time wore on, he became more and more...controlling, I guess," she said, glancing up at Will, then looking away again. "I knew something was wrong. I tried to talk to him to find out what it was, but he just became more and more closed off. He made me feel like the problem was _me_...telling me I needed to – to look better, that I should have been all dressed up when he came home from work. He said his days were _stressful_, and coming home to a clean place, a hot meal, and a smiling, beautiful wife would make his life so much _better_."

Will heard the note of derision that had seeped into her voice, and chose to remain silent, letting her talk.

"But you know what? It only got worse," she said quietly. "So much worse. Pretty soon, nothing I did was enough. The condo was never clean enough, the meals were never tasty enough, and I was never, ever perfect enough. Too heavy, too much – too much hair, too much makeup, not enough makeup..."

Will was horrified at what he was hearing. _What the fuck was wrong with that guy? _The woman sitting here with him, curled into him, was as close to feminine perfection as a woman could be. In _every _way, not just physically. She was smart, witty, kind, loving, compassionate, affectionate.._.and_, undeniably beautiful and sexy as hell. His thoughts were interrupted when she began talking again.

"Then it became all about my friends. They weren't good enough, they were bad influences, they were losers...it just went on and on. But that was one thing I fought him on, I couldn't give in. I had to have my friends, had to have a connection with other people." She paused for a second. "I felt like I was beginning to drown, but...I was so afraid of just giving up. What would that make me? Who gives up on their marriage when they haven't even celebrated their one-year anniversary yet? I thought that whatever it was, whatever was – was _eating_ at him, I could...fix it."

"What did your friends think?" Will asked, feeling frustrated for her, for what she had to endure. "Did you talk to them, or to Jane?"

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed and she shook her head. "I was embarrassed and ashamed. He had told me so many times that it was me, that if I'd just put more effort into our home, into myself, it would be better...I'd started to believe him."

Will muttered a brief but telling curse under his breath, and as she looked up at him, he saw that her eyes and cheeks were wet. He immediately felt terrible; she had been crying, and he hadn't even known it. He freed his hand from hers and lightly grasped her chin, turning her to face him more so that he could bend to kiss her cheeks, absorbing the salty tracks with his lips before lifting them to kiss her eyelids. He felt them flutter a little, but also felt her body relax as she sighed. Lastly, he kissed her parted lips, just a soft, gentle kiss, nothing more than his mouth lightly pressing against hers.

"Thank you," she whispered as she burrowed into his body even more.

He didn't respond, just hugged her closer, and waited patiently for her to continue.

"Sometimes, I'd be able to – to get away, and I'd be out with a friend, and I'd constantly be checking my phone, or looking over my shoulder...he'd call and demand to know where I was, demand that I come home. When - when I finally did, he'd scream at me, and ask me if I was out 'whoring' with my friends. He'd get right in my face..."

She stopped speaking, and Will could feel that she was trembling, so he gave her back his hand, and she immediately hooked her fingers around his and squeezed it. And he _had_ to ask, he had to know the entire terrible extent of it, even though he also had the urge to cover his ears. "Did he ever hit you, Elizabeth?" he asked quietly, still stroking her shoulder.

"No, he didn't."

Will exhaled, relieved and thankful that she hadn't had to endure _that,_ at least.

"He'd threaten to," Elizabeth went on, "not with words, but...he'd raise his hand as if he was going to, and then he'd laugh when I flinched. It got to the point that I'd practically cower anytime he came near me. He'd become so...so menacing, so intimidating. And he enjoyed it, he _enjoyed_ making me fear him. So every time he came home, he'd inspect the house from top to bottom. If the – if the things in the kitchen cabinets weren't all facing the same way, or the bathroom towels weren't all hanging at the same level, or if – if my clothes were wrinkled, or if the laundry wasn't done, or dinner wasn't ready...it would start all over again."

Will cleared his throat softly and took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heart. He didn't have any idea what this Bill had wrong with him, as far as putting a clinical, scientific name to it, but he could give it his own name:_ Fucked up_. _Cowardly. Weak._ _What kind of man intimidates a woman that way, and gets his kicks from it? _

"Is that why you pushed me away tonight?" he asked quietly. "Is it...I don't know, is it like an automatic response?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. No." She shrugged and shook her head, obviously exasperated with herself. "I don't know. I'm sorry."

Will leaned in and kissed her temple. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

_I'm not ready for this conversation to go further_, Elizabeth thought to herself as they both fell silent again. _Not yet_. It was too soon for her to discuss what her sex life had been like with Bill. She had already told Will so much; the physical aspect of her marriage was just another layer, one lousy part that contributed to the whole rotten sum.

Telling Will about her ex-husband and how he had morphed into a completely different person over the course of their fourteen-month marriage was one thing; relaying to him all the ways in which she was sexually clueless and how she basically felt helpless in that – that _area _of her short-lived marriage was entirely another.

Especially since Will was coming from a marriage of love. He hadn't been headed for divorce when his wife died, he had been happily married and had said as much himself. From that information, Elizabeth could make the assumption that the physical relationship that Will had had with his wife was miles apart from the one she'd had with Bill. It was hard for her to think about that, the fact that their experiences were most likely very different, and truthfully, she didn't _want_ to think about it, not yet.

Still, even with all of these facts racing through her mind, she knew the moment of truth would come. Her physical response to him couldn't be denied; he was already causing her to feel things she hadn't felt in ages, if ever, things that made her crave more of..._him_. Everything about him.

Elizabeth had become quiet again, and Will knew that she was skirting the issue. He wanted to know what this bastard had done to her, but at the same time, he didn't want to push her too much, didn't want to press her to talk about something she wasn't ready to. Still, despite that, he couldn't help but wonder...did he force himself on her? Was he rough with her?

"I was stupid," she whispered suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Hey," Will said quietly but firmly, squeezing her hand, making her look up at him. "Don't do that, please. Don't beat yourself up. You were confused and afraid, but _not_ stupid. Never stupid."

"But I _was_ stupid," she argued quietly. "I stayed with him for _ten months_ after all of this started happening. Ten months of feeling humiliated and inadequate and...despised."

"But you took the steps to end it, didn't you?" Will asked, feeling another swell of anger toward Bill, mixed with sorrow for her, for this beautiful woman who had been treated so abominably. "That has to mean something."

Elizabeth nodded her head. "I _had_ decided to end it, finally. But then...Bill ended it, on his own."

Will was slightly puzzled. "What did he do?"

Elizabeth sighed. "He was away – on business, he'd told me, which was obviously a lie – and so I went ahead and made lunch plans with a friend. I didn't know Bill had come home early, and when I walked into the condo with – with George, my friend, Bill heard us talking."

Will listened as Elizabeth's voice turned flat and emotionless, as if she had detached herself from the story.

"He was upstairs, listening," she continued, "and he heard George begging me to leave Bill, to run away from him. Bill came downstairs with a gun, and he grabbed me by the hair. George lunged at him, and the gun went off..."

Will stopped her from talking by turning her in his arms and pulling her back onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as she shook. The calmness of her voice belied the shaking of her body, and he stroked his hands over her back to try and soothe her. "Were you hurt?" he asked, feeling a sudden urgent need to protect her from pain of any sort.

Elizabeth nuzzled her face into Will's neck and took a deep, steadying breath. "No. George was shot, though. Bill went to prison, and as soon as I could, I started with the divorce proceedings.

"What happened to George?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Physically, he ended up being okay. Bill always thought there was something more going on between us, he didn't understand that we were just friends. I'd known George for so long, since elementary school...but Bill never believed me."

"Are you and George still friends?" Will asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No." She paused for a moment. "Too – too much happened between us, after. Things changed." _That's a conversation for another time._

"I'm sorry," Will said, hugging her again, and now curious about this 'George' person. "I'm sorry for all of it, for everything that you went through."

It was quiet for a long moment before Elizabeth spoke again. "I'm not a – a submissive person. I'm not weak," she whispered. "At least, I never thought I was. But after all of that, I questioned myself constantly. Why did I let Bill do that to me?" _And how did I let George take advantage of me?_

"You're not weak," Will said firmly. "You didn't _let _those things happen to you, you didn't choose to have them happen. That – that _man_, your ex-husband, is the one at fault. You did what you had to do: _You got out._ You _are_ a strong woman, Elizabeth. Seeing who you are now, it's so clear, and would be obvious to anyone who knows what you've been through. Your ex-husband had – had issues, psychological issues, none of which can be blamed on you."

Elizabeth was quiet again, but pulled back to look into his eyes. He was being so sweet, trying to be understanding and supportive. Just the same, she knew what she had to do; she had to give him the opportunity to bow out gracefully now, before things went further. Jane's words came back to her, about him being too much, but maybe the opposite was true: _Maybe I'm too much for him_.

She reached up to stroke his cheek, feeling the rough, new growth of stubble there. "I won't hold you to what you told Jack tonight, you know."

Will was perplexed. "What I told Jack? What did I tell Jack?" He honestly had no idea what she was referring to.

"The – the girlfriend comment. We were kissing in front of him, and I appreciate that you wanted to make an...honest woman out of me." She smiled sadly and tilted her head. "I'm sure the last thing you expected tonight was all of this. If you want to take a step back, it's okay." It was killing her to say it, but she needed to let him know that she had no expectations.

Will frowned. "So, I'm supposed to just...walk away now?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

She was a bit surprised at his reaction; he looked – and sounded – indignant. "No, I – I just wanted to tell you that it's okay if you decide that it's too much for you right now, that I'm too much. I would understand if you did."

He stared at her, then leaned forward to kiss her. "You _are_ too much," he said softly, his brown eyes warm. "You're too beautiful, too kind..." He leaned in to kiss her again. "Too...everything. Everything good." Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her to him. "I'm not going anywhere. You're not the only one sitting here that's trying to – to start over again."

Elizabeth settled against him, feeling a wave of relief as it rushed through her body. With it came curiosity. Would he talk now? Would he answer questions about his wife if they were asked? There was only one way for her to find out.

"Will?"

"Mmhm."

She felt his lips in her hair, and heard him take a deep breath. "I know you lost your wife...you lost Anne. What happened? Was she sick?"

"No, she wasn't sick," he said quietly. "We were in a car accident. She held on for a couple of weeks, but her injuries were so severe, her body just gave out."

"How old was Jack?" she asked, sitting back again to look up at him.

Will cleared his throat. "He was – he was two. Almost two and a half."

"What happened? The accident, I mean," Elizabeth asked tentatively. She couldn't tell from the expression on his face, or from his answers, if her questions were welcomed or not.

Will sighed. "We were t-boned by someone who had run a red light. It was a young kid...Anne was driving, and took the brunt of the hit."

He paused, thinking how odd it felt to be talking about his past this way with Elizabeth; surprisingly, it was very matter-of-fact, almost as if he was relaying a story to her about someone else's life. It made him wonder, vaguely, if this was how the whole healing process worked; if looking back on that period of time in his life would be akin to looking back on a series of photographs, or at a fuzzy version of a very somber home movie.

"I couldn't get past that for the longest time, the fact that she was driving," he said quietly. "She had insisted on it, and she had this little car...it didn't stand a chance."

"You felt guilty?" Elizabeth asked solemnly.

"Hell yeah. If we had taken my SUV, I would have been driving...maybe there would have been a different outcome. Maybe we wouldn't have been going through that light at that particular time, maybe I would have taken a different route..."

"But you shouldn't feel badly about that, you didn't know what was going to happen. It was out of your control," Elizabeth argued quietly.

"I know, and you're absolutely right." He nudged her a little. "Just like I'm right about you not being stupid."

She looked up at him, and saw that one eyebrow was raised as he waited for her to respond.

Elizabeth shrugged slightly. "Okay, fair enough."

"It took a while, but I worked through it," Will said firmly. "I know that I'm not responsible for what happened that night."

Elizabeth couldn't imagine how that must have felt, how _he_ must have felt, struggling with grief _and_ with guilt, and through all of it, trying to be a father and raise a little boy. She reached up then and held his face in her hands, and kissed his nose and each of his cheeks several times before kissing his lips gently. It was strange, but she felt grief _for_ him. She felt fortunate and grateful that this wonderful man had come into her life, but at the same time...he had suffered through a tremendous loss, and she ached for him, and for his son.

Will let his eyes drift closed as Elizabeth's soft lips peppered his face with warm kisses. It was at that moment, _exactly_, that he realized that what they were building here – this fragile beginning, these tentative feelings – it was something that was going to last. He could feel it deep in his gut, in his soul. He reached up then, to hold her face as well, and kissed her deeply, wanting to express with his actions what he wasn't quite ready to say with words, even though he was very sure of himself.

When the kiss ended, he held her face in his hands, keeping his eyes trained on hers. "I'm ready to move on, to move forward, and I want to do that with you. Can you do the same, Elizabeth? Do you think you can move forward with me?" His heart began to pound in his chest as he waited for her to speak.

Elizabeth nodded, and tears rushed to her eyes as she whispered her answer. "Yes."

* * *

Elizabeth woke early Saturday morning to the ringing of her cell phone. Bleary-eyed, she rolled over in bed and looked at the caller ID. _Jane_. They hadn't spoken since Wednesday, and Elizabeth knew that both of them were holding out until the other one called first. Feeling like she needed to get it over with, she reached for her phone.

"Hello," she said, then cleared her throat to try again. "Hello."

"Good morning, Lizzy."

Her older sister's voice was subdued, and Elizabeth replied in the same manner. "Hi, Jane."

"How are you?"

"Great. You?"

"I'm fine. Listen...I'm calling to tell you I'm sorry about our last conversation. I shouldn't have said a lot of the things I said, and I don't blame you for being upset. I would have called you sooner, but I figured I'd give you some time to think."

Elizabeth reached up with her free hand to rub her eyes. "Think about what?"

"Just...everything that we discussed on the phone."

Elizabeth stopped the movement of her hand and let it fall back to the mattress. "You mean, everything that you _told_ me. We didn't really discuss anything, not that I can recall."

"Okay, then, everything that I told you," Jane echoed, and Elizabeth could hear the exasperation in her voice. "I should have waited before I said anything about Will to you."

"Waited for what, exactly?" Elizabeth knew she was baiting Jane a bit, but she didn't hear any sincerity in her voice, so if she had to prod her into being honest, so be it.

"Waited to see if...anything was going to come of this," Jane said quietly.

"This...meaning Will and me?"

"Yes."

"So...you should have waited, and then if you saw that Will and I were growing closer and actually developing a relationship...you should have waited to drop your bombs then, is that it? But if it hadn't worked out, and he dropped me like a hot potato, then you wouldn't have had to say anything at all, right?"

"You make it sound like I'm intentionally trying to hurt you!" Jane said, sounding offended. "I told you, Lizzy, I'm trying to look out for you. I'm sorry if you took it another way."

"You looked Will up online, tried to dig up stuff on him – which you had a hard time finding, you said it yourself – but you were looking out for me? I don't need you to _look out_ for me, Jane, I do just fine on my own. All I want is for you to be happy for me, and...supportive, not so pessimistic and negative. Is that too much to ask?"

"That's not fair," Jane stated emphatically. "I've _always_ been in your corner, you know I have. But you know nothing about Will Darcy!"

"I know enough. And I hate to say this, Jane, but you were with Stuart for how long? And you didn't know him at all."

"Low blow, Lizzy."

"No, it's not a low blow," Elizabeth replied, forcing herself to talk quietly and calmly. She didn't want this to turn into a shouting match. "How do you think I felt when you said that Will was probably too much for me? And is that what you really meant? Do you really think he's too much for me, or do you think that I'm not enough for him? Because I think that's what you meant."

"Both," Jane answered honestly, her voice quieter now too. "He's a sought-after man, Elizabeth. Filthy rich, and in line to inherit everything from his father when the time comes. I'm not blind to who and what he is, but you seem determined to be. He's not some country boy who will be happy living on that little island of yours. I mean, sure, right now he's in love with the place, but of course he is, it's all new. What about this winter, when you're knee-deep in snow and he's restless?" She took a deep breath. "I know how all of this might sound, but I _am_ looking out for you, whether you want to believe it or not."

Elizabeth sighed. She tried to see Jane's point of view, tried to imagine how she would see it if she was the one on the outside looking in. "So you think he'll just...grow tired of me, and of the island, and head back to New York without so much as a second glance? That's what you think?" Elizabeth asked, her voice hesitant.

"I'm sorry to say it, but yes, that's what I think. I think he's crushing on you, I think he's drawn to you, the librarian from the quaint, small coastal city...but honestly, how long do you think that's going to hold his attention?"

Elizabeth felt bitterness swell up inside of her. She thought of the conversation she'd had with Will last night, and about everything that had happened after, and she shook her head. "Part of me can see why you're looking at it from that angle, and I know you feel like you're being...helpful, and taking care of me, protecting me. But I can't think the way you do. I _won't_. I feel like I've found someone...someone unique, someone special, who cares about me. And you're right, we don't know each other that well, but...we know enough, for right now." _We know what we think we've found, even though neither of us was really looking._

Jane sighed, and Elizabeth heard the surrender in it.

"Do you remember when we talked not too long ago," Elizabeth went on, "and you asked me if I was dating? 'Dipping my toes in the water', you called it."

"Yeah, I remember," Jane said softly.

"I told you I hadn't found any waters worthy of my toes, and we laughed about it. Well, now I've found the waters, so to speak. I _want_ to try with Will, Jane," Elizabeth said, her voice taking on an almost desperate edge. "I wish I could explain it to you, and make you understand that there's something there, between us. He feels it too...it's not just me, it's not all one-sided." She didn't want to say more than that about Will; their conversations from the night before were being held close to her heart, and she didn't want to share them. "Can you try to just be happy for me?"

Jane sighed. She _was_ happy for her sister, and she knew that's what Elizabeth truly needed to hear. Inside, though, she really had very little faith in Will. He was perfectly nice, extremely easy on the eyes, and seemed to be an all-around good person. No, it wasn't because of _who_ he was, so much as what he represented and where he came from. That lifestyle, the people he left behind in New York, the money...could he really leave all of that for a life with her little sister on an island? _I don't think so_.

"I _am _happy for you Lizzy, I really am. I hope it works out, and I'm sorry I created such a mess," Jane said. She was being completely truthful; there would be nothing she'd love more than to be proven wrong about Will Darcy. The apologizing came easy, as neither of the sisters liked it when there were issues or any types of misunderstandings between them. Thankfully, it happened rarely.

Still, Jane was sticking to her theories about Will; she would just keep them to herself from now on.

"Thanks Jane. And I hate to do this, but I have to run." Elizabeth glanced at her alarm clock, and saw that it was almost eight-thirty. "I have to pick up Will and Jack in an hour."

"_You_ have to pick _them _up? In what?"

"Yes...um, I have Will's golf cart. Long story. Bye Jane! Love you."

"Love you too, bye Lizzy."

As Elizabeth took a shower and got ready for her day with Will and Jack, she thought about her conversation with Jane. She felt angry still, though less so than she was a few days ago. Mainly, she was disappointed that her sister, for some reason, was choosing to view Elizabeth's budding relationship as one that was destined to fail.

_Dwelling on it now will do me no good, _Elizabeth thought. She began to shake off the remaining bad karma from the phone call, and began to look forward to the Arts Festival. It was gorgeous out, the sun was already streaming through her windows, and she knew the good weather would make for a big crowd.

She thought back to the end of the night, how she and Will had ended up stretched out on the couch, lying together and talking more, but avoiding anything too serious. They had kissed – a lot – and even now, she was beginning to feel like it hadn't been enough. It felt as if the entire process of telling him about her marriage to Bill, of sharing that part of her past with him, had somehow..._freed_ her a little bit. She felt more open to Will now, and to the range of emotions that were slowly being stirred within her. She wasn't ready to jump into bed with him, but she was ready for...something more.

Lying next to him like that – it was a tight fit, since he took up most of the couch on his own – had made her so aware of him; the way her body fit along his, the smell of his skin, the rough timbre of his deep voice as it vibrated the muscles of his chest under her ear. It had led her to wonder if the small amount of hair on his chest would feel coarse or soft under her fingers, and then she thought about what the skin of his back would feel like under her hands...her thoughts had definitely strayed.

Their discussion had turned serious again at one point, but it was brief. Will had been teasing her about dragging her into a piano bar so that he could hear her play, and she had mentioned that she used to have her own piano, an upright painted a dazzling, vibrant pink, that her father had bought her when she was eight years old. It had been her most prized possession, and she had taken meticulous care of it and practiced on it regularly. Of course, Will had asked why she didn't have it now, and had assumed that it was due to the lack of space in her little house.

"About six months after I got married, I came home one day and it was gone," she told Will. "I had been out with Jane, we had gone to the Wrentham Outlets, she needed a dress for something, and when I got back to the condo...no more piano."

Will had looked at her, then, with such sadness in his expression. She'd tried to act as if it wasn't a big deal, but he wouldn't let it go that easily,and she could see the question in his eyes without him even voicing it.

"Bill sold it," she said, shrugging. "He'd said we needed the money. He'd advertised it on 'Craigslist', and when he found out I was going to be gone for the day, he arranged for the buyer to come and pick it up. I thought it was strange that he let me go shopping with Jane so easily...he didn't make a fuss at all. Once I got home, I understood why."

Will had only stared at her, still not saying anything. Finally, he shook his head slowly. "I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth had reached up to stroke his cheek. "It's okay, it was just a piano. A piece of furniture."

"Lizzy, come on," he said quietly, still keeping his eyes glued to hers. "It must have hurt." He could see the sadness there, lurking in those beautiful brown eyes as she talked about it.

Finally she gave in and nodded, resting her chin on his chest as she looked at him. "It did. It hurt a lot. I think I mourned that piano for longer than I mourned my marriage."

That remark, though not intended to be funny, had struck her as such and made her giggle, which in turn caused Will to chuckle, and then the seriousness of the moment dissipated as they hugged each other and laughed quietly. They had spent the rest of the night tangled up on the couch, doing nothing more than kissing and talking about random, inane things.

Elizabeth thought that it had truly been one of the best nights of her life, and she wouldn't have traded a single minute of it for anything.

* * *

"Welcome home, dearest," Robert Darcy said as he watched his daughter enter his home office on Saturday morning. "I trust that you had a nice time?"

Georgiana nodded, taking in her handsome father's perfectly groomed appearance. Even when he worked at home, he was every bit the professional. "I did. It's really a beautiful place."

"And how are my wayward son and grandson faring? Are they doing well?"

"They're both great," she said, smiling as she sat down in a chair in front of his large desk. "Jack loves it there, and Will...he's a different person. Well, not different, maybe just...back to the old Will."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, although he felt decidedly unhappy at the news. He studied his daughter. "Are you here to continue the discussion that we started before you left for Maine?"

Georgiana nodded, and looked her father in the eye. "I am. I've made some decisions."

Robert sat back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. "Well then, perhaps you should inform me of what they are."

She took a deep breath. "I don't want to go to school for business, or for management, or for anything related to working for DMG. I'm not interested in it. At all. Not a bit." The words had come rushing out of her mouth, and now that they'd been set free, she paused, waiting for her father's reaction. When it was obvious he was going to remain silent, she continued on.

"I don't want you to think I'm not thankful for the opportunity to work for you and for our family business, because I am. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and everything DMG has been for our family, and I'm proud of what you've done with it. It's not that I don't respect it, or you, you know that's not it. It's just that...I don't want to spend my life in that line of work, just because I'm a Darcy and I'm _supposed_ to. It's not fair to me, and it certainly wouldn't be fair to you, in the end."

"And why do you say that?" Robert asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"Because I would be a terrible employee. I'd be miserable, and would end up inflicting that misery on you. I would probably make your life a living hell."

He laughed at that, a solid belly laugh, something he hadn't done in a long time, and was pleased to see her smile in return. _My little girl is growing up_, he thought to himself, _and she has a mind of her own, just like her mother._

"Am I to assume you've found something else that holds your interest? Another career that you think is worthy?"

Georgiana nodded. "I think I have, but...I'm going to think about it a little more, just to be sure."

"Are you going to tell me what it is, or are we going to play twenty questions?"

"I want to go to medical school." Her father's eyes widened. "Well, not really medical school. I'm not – I don't want to be a doctor. I've thought about that, but I decided that the life of a doctor isn't what I want. I want to get married and have a family someday, and although I know that there are plenty of women doctors that are raising families, I don't think it's for me. So...I'm looking into two alternatives: physician's assistant, or nurse practitioner."

Her father smiled softly and nodded his head, but said nothing.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"I thought your big declaration was going to surprise me. Sadly, my dear, it was almost too predictable. If I had thought about it a little more, I'm sure I could have figured it out."

Georgiana looked puzzled. "Really?"

"Yes. You excelled in every biology and anatomy course you ever took in high school, and you were forever watching any documentary that you could find on television about the workings of the human body. Not to mention that book you had, when you were about ten I think, with all the graphic full-color pictures of all the different organs."

Georgiana nodded, slightly – but pleasantly – shocked at her father's recollections. "Yes, I remember that book. I still have it, I think. And I still watch anything I can on the body. It's just...it's fascinating, isn't it?"

Robert shrugged. "I suppose it is, yes."

Georgiana laughed. "See? The way you feel about the body is _exactly_ how I feel about the world of big business."

Robert studied her again for a long moment before speaking. "You follow your heart, my dear. I'll support you in whatever you choose to do, just let me know when you've decided."

Robert had thought long and hard about how to handle this new situation with Georgiana, and had decided to hear her out when she returned home. He didn't want his relationship with his daughter to end up like the one he had with his son; strained, to say the least, and laced with animosity. It was well-known that the Darcy traits of stubbornness and tenacity ran deep in the men, and Robert was beginning to see that Georgiana had inherited her fair share of them as well.

She smiled, a mixture of relief and excitement coursing through her. "Thanks, Daddy."

Robert's mind was already reverting back to Will. He needed to dig a little more, try to find out what was going on in his son's mind. "So...you said Fitzwilliam is well? And Jack?"

"Yes. The house he bought is a gorgeous country home, it has views of the bay...we built a fort for Jack in the backyard, that was fun. Oh, your son has no carpentry skills, are you aware of that?"

Robert chuckled. "Is it surprising to you?"

Georgiana shook her head and smiled. "No, I suppose it isn't."

"Did you meet Elizabeth?" he asked. It wasn't a random question; it was one that he had planned on asking from the moment Georgiana had walked into his office. It was all about timing.

Her father's question completely caught Georgiana by surprise. "Did I meet...who? Elizabeth?"

"Yes, _Elizabeth_," Robert repeated. "She's a librarian, isn't she?"

"Will told you about her?" Georgiana asked, unable to hide the disbelief in her voice.

"_Yes_, he did...and so did Jack. My little grandson seems to be quite fond of her." He was stretching it, making it look as if Will had volunteered information on Elizabeth, but his daughter didn't know that. He was hoping she would give him a little more information about this woman who had come out of nowhere. And indeed, he meant nowhere; that's just about what Maine equated to for him. _Nowhere_.

"I think they're _both_ quite fond of her," Georgiana replied, smiling, "and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. I actually babysat Jack one night so Will could take Elizabeth out. She's very nice, and he's...different around her. He smiles more, laughs more. I think she's good for him."

"Well, that's wonderful, I hope I get the chance to meet her," Robert replied, trying to sound enthused.

Georgiana nodded, seeing her father's questions about Elizabeth as a positive step forward. Could it be that he's finally aware, now, of how badly he treated Anne when she was alive? _Maybe he's trying to make up for it. _

"Will I be seeing you for dinner, or do you have plans with your friends?" Robert asked.

"Plans, sorry. How about breakfast tomorrow?"

"By the time you're up, it will be lunch."

Georgiana laughed as she stood from the chair. "Well, brunch then." She walked around her father's desk and kissed him on the cheek. "Bye, Daddy."

"Goodbye, dearest. Be careful tonight."

"Always," she called over her shoulder as she left his office.

Robert leaned forward on his elbows and dropped his head in his hands. _I have to find out more about this woman_, he thought. _As soon as possible_.

An idea occurred to him then, and he picked up his phone and quickly dialed a number. He smiled when the gravelly voice answered.

"Yes, Uncle, what can I do for you at this ungodly hour of the morning?"

Robert smiled. "I thought I might be able to interest you in a bit of travel."

The voice at the end of the phone perked up. "Someplace tropical, I hope. With a spare ticket for a guest?"

Robert heard the rustle of sheets and a throaty, feminine laugh in the background, and knew just what he'd interrupted on the other end of the line. "Sorry, maybe next time," he said coolly. "However...I hear that Maine is simply beautiful this time of year."

* * *

_Now, who do you think Robert may have called? Please leave a review if you have the time. Thanks!_

_* "Just Give Me a Reason" by Pink, f/Nate Ruess_


	19. Chapter 18

_Sorry that this post is a bit late today...just returned from out of town. Thanks to everyone reading and reviewing, I appreciate it! And huge thanks to my betas, Mariana and Jan, for keeping me in line. _

* * *

**Chapter 18**

Will's cell phone was ringing as he stepped out of the shower on Saturday morning. He could hear it from where it was located on his nightstand, and thinking it might be Elizabeth, he wrapped a towel around his waist and quickly walked into his bedroom, leaving a trail of water on the hardwood floor behind him. He was surprised to see Sarah Grady's name flashing across the caller ID.

"Good morning, Sarah," he answered.

"Oh, hi Will. I hope it's not too early to call."

"No, not at all. How are you?" Will truly liked both Sarah and Mike Grady, though he'd interacted with Sarah a little more. She was always upbeat.

"I'm fine, thanks. Sam has been pestering me to call you since Thursday, and I meant to last night, but it slipped my mind. He would love for Jack to come over today, if you don't have other plans."

"Oh, um...we were going to go to the Performing Arts Festival in Portland." He ran one hand through his wet hair, pushing it off of his forehead. "We were planning on spending the day."

"That's right, I forgot the festival was this weekend! That's okay, I'll just let Sam know that Jack is already busy."

Will thought – and spoke – quickly. "Well, hold on. How about if I leave it up to Jack? Is that alright?"

"Sure, that's fine," she answered breezily. "Do you want to call me back?"

Will looked down at the growing wet spot on the floor as water dripped down his legs. "Yes, give me five minutes, and I'll call you back."

They ended the call, and Will quickly dried off. As he got dressed, he called out to Jack from his bedroom door, and Jack came upstairs.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Listen, Sam's mom just called. Sam would like to have you over to his house today."

Jack's eyes widened slightly, and he smiled. "He would?"

"Yes. But...I told her that we were going to the festival over in Portland."

Jack visibly deflated a little. "Oh yeah, that's right."

"Well, I thought maybe I should let you decide what you want to do, instead of deciding for you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I figure it should be your choice."

Jack paused for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you gonna be mad if I play with Sam instead of going with you?"

Will smiled at his son's concern. "Would you _rather_ play with Sam?"

"Well...yeah, kinda. The festival sounds like fun, but I haven't played with Sam all week, except the day we went to the beach with Auntie G, and he was there with his mom and Jess."

"I know, and that's why I'm asking. If you'd rather stay on the island and play with Sam, it's okay."

"You can just go with 'Lizabeth?"

"Yes, I'll still go with her, if you're okay with me being off the island for the day."

Jack shrugged. "That's okay."

Will nodded. "Alright then, I'll call Mrs Grady back and let her know. You need to go get dressed and brush your teeth. Elizabeth will be here in a little while to pick us up."

Jack looked puzzled. "How come she's picking us up?" he asked, then grinned with excitement. "Are we using Vixen?"

"Oh, no. She was here kind of late last night, so I let her drive the Batmobile home."

"Oh. Okay. Can I pick out some toys to take to Sam's?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, sure, just not too many, okay? I'm sure Sam has plenty of stuff to keep you busy."

Jack hurried to his own room, and Will called Sarah back. "I gave him the choice, and he'd much rather play with Sam than go to the festival. I don't think it was a tough decision."

She laughed. "I don't want to ruin your plans for the day, Will. We can do it another day, if you want to take him with you."

"It's fine. We were going over with Elizabeth anyway, so she and I will still go. Do you want me back at any particular time to pick him up?"

"What time were you planning originally?"

"Probably around dinnertime."

"That's fine, Jack can even eat with us if he wants to. I think Mike was planning on throwing something on the grill, or maybe we'll just get pizza."

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Absolutely not, it's fine. When are you leaving for the festival?" Sarah asked.

Will glanced at his watch. "In less than an hour...I can drop Jack off on the way to the ferry, if that works."

"Sounds great, Sam will be thrilled. I'll see you in a little while. Oh, have Jack pack his bathing suit and a towel, in case we go to the beach or the pool."

"I'll do that." He thought of one last thing. "Hey, quick question...does Jess do any babysitting?"

"She does a _lot _of babysitting, actually, especially during the summer. Are you trying to find someone for Jack?"

"I am. It wouldn't be all the time, just once in a while."

"I'm sure she'd love to help out. Like I said, she does it a lot in the summer, so if she knows a few days in advance, it would be helpful. She books up fast when all the summer residents are here...most of them have had her sit for their kids before, so she has a lot of repeat business."

Will laughed. "Well, I guess I won't need to ask for references, then," he said jokingly. "I'll make sure I make my reservations as far in advance as possible."

They finished up their conversation, and Will went back to getting ready. He was a little bummed out that Jack wouldn't be with him today, but at the same time...he was _thrilled_ to be able to spend the day alone with Elizabeth, especially after last night.

He'd had a hard time going to sleep after she left, as he kept replaying everything she'd said about her ex-husband and about her marriage. It was heartbreaking, what she'd been through, and even as she was telling him, he knew there was probably more to the story that she wasn't saying. There _had_ to be. She had pulled away from him and had physically _pushed_ at him when he'd touched her in the kitchen, and although she hadn't really been forthcoming about why she'd done that, he could figure it out pretty easily. _If that bastard was as controlling as she says, I could only imagine how he treated her in bed. _That very thought had made him speculate wildly, hence his inability to fall asleep.

It had felt so good to just lie next to her on the couch last night, after they'd given in to a little bit of fatigue and had stretched out next to each other. He was on his back, with her wedged between him and the back of the couch, lying mostly on her side, but partly on him. She was all softness and curves, and fit against him so perfectly. The position had kept him in a state of semi-arousal for the majority of the evening, and it was all he could do to keep his hands in respectable places, and not let them roam as they most definitely wished to do.

They had ended up drifting off, her head on his chest, tucked under his chin, one arm thrown across his stomach. His arms were wrapped around her, and their legs were tangled, his much longer ones causing him to prop his feet on the armrest at the opposite end. It had been a quick nap, probably no longer than fifteen or twenty minutes, and when he had woken up, he kissed the top of her head, trying to rouse her gently. She had stretched against him, and he was completely convinced that she was unaware of the way his body had reacted. Semi-arousal quickly accelerated to full arousal, and as she looked up at him with a sleepy grin, memories of the dream he'd had about her came rushing into his head.

Before giving himself time to change his mind, he had pulled her up higher on his chest and began to kiss her, softly at first, but then deeper as she responded so willingly. Not wanting to push too much, he kept the kisses slow and sensuous, playing with her lips and tongue, taking the time to really learn how to kiss _her_, the way she wanted to be kissed, the way she liked to be kissed. As he let his hands move slowly up and down her back, her hands had clutched at his shirt, bunching it in her small fists, and he knew it wasn't from nervousness or fear. No, from that reaction alone, he could tell that she was feeling exactly what he was: excitement and desire. It was enough for him, for now, to know that she was experiencing all of that with him, and that it wasn't just one-sided. He was convinced that he could have kissed her until the sun had risen.

Eventually, however, they had stopped and just stared at each other, both nearly gasping for breath, before smiling like fools. That one simple thing, seeing her smile at him like that, had done even more to assure him that this was all...good. _Very, very good_. It was after midnight when she had finally left, and as promised, she had texted him when she had gotten home to let him know she had arrived safely.

Now, as he waited with Jack for Elizabeth to arrive, he kept himself busy doing mindless things such as straightening up the kitchen and living room. He was full of anticipation at the day ahead of him, eager to spend more time with her. Will realized, then, that his feelings had become an endless circle where Elizabeth was concerned. The more he saw of her, the more he wanted to see; the more he knew of her, the more he wanted to know. He sighed loudly. _And the more I touch her, the more I want to touch._ _It's as simple as that._

* * *

Elizabeth stepped outside into the bright sun, a smile already gracing her lips. She was looking forward to the day, and to watching all of the groups that would perform at various venues around Portland. She had asked Will what he and Jack would be most interested in seeing, and Will had mentioned that maybe the puppet shows, magic acts and live musicians would be a few things that Jack would enjoy.

Other than that, Will was leaving it to her to decide where they went and what they saw. She had tucked a schedule of events into her small day-pack, already with some things highlighted that she thought they'd all enjoy. She'd also packed her clothes for work, and had already texted Kate this morning, asking if she could crash at her place tonight since they both had shifts at Grace. Both Kate and Charlotte were great about letting Elizabeth stay at their respective apartments when Elizabeth worked at the restaurant, since the ferry didn't have a late enough trip back to the island.

Elizabeth locked her house and made her way down the path toward the Gardiners' driveway. She noticed both Maddie and Ed out front, kneeling on the ground and working in the flower beds that bordered the front of their property.

"Good morning Maddie, good morning Ed, how are you?" she called out as she walked toward the Batmobile. They both turned to look at her, and she couldn't miss the quizzical expression on Maddie's face.

"Well, good morning, Lizzy! We're fine, just fine," Ed answered, rising to his feet and smiling at her. "Trying to tackle these weeds before it gets too hot." He turned to his wife. "I'll go get us both a nice glass of iced tea." After saying goodbye to Elizabeth, he disappeared inside the house.

"How are you?" Maddie inquired, still with that odd expression on her face as she stood up and removed her gardening gloves.

"Great. I'm in a bit of a hurry, though."

"Oh. You – you're leaving?" Maddie asked as she walked across the yard to Elizabeth.

_Odd question_, Elizabeth thought. "Yes, I'm leaving. I'm going to the festival with Will and Jack, I have to go pick them up." She watched as Maddie's expression changed from puzzlement to understanding. "Will was nice enough to let me use his cart last night."

Suddenly, it all clicked into place for Elizabeth. _She must have thought Will was here with me._

Maddie smiled at her. "You three have a good time. I might drag Ed over later, I'd like to see the ballet troupe that's performing. Maybe we'll see you there."

"Sure, call my cell if the two of you end up coming over," Elizabeth said as she climbed into the cart.

"I'll do that. Have a great time, say hi to Will and Jack for us," Maddie answered. She already knew that she wouldn't call; there was no way she would interrupt a day that Elizabeth had planned to spend with the Darcys.

Maddie had to admit, she was completely surprised to see that little black golf cart in the driveway this morning, and to her own embarrassment, had jumped to the wrong conclusion. However, she was determined not to pry; after all, Elizabeth was a grown woman, and didn't need another mother hovering over her. Just the same, Maddie did love her like a daughter, as did Ed, and both had grown used to looking out for her.

She watched as Elizabeth hopped in the cart and waved, a big smile on her face as she sped away.

When Elizabeth arrived at Will's, he and Jack were both ready to go, waiting patiently on the front porch. Will immediately walked around to the driver's side, ready to take the wheel, and before Elizabeth could move herself over to the passenger seat, he leaned in to give her a warm kiss, and reached up to briefly stroke her cheek.

"Good morning, Lizzy," he said softly before kissing her again.

A zip of awareness shot straight up her spine, and she shivered at the sensation. "Good morning," she answered. Sighing, she moved over and looked at Jack, who was waiting patiently for a place to sit. "Hi Jack, how are you today? Excited for the festival?"

"I'm not goin' to the festival, I'm goin' over to Sam's," Jack answered excitedly, grinning from ear to ear as he climbed in to sit on Elizabeth's lap.

Elizabeth looked at Will, and he shrugged. "Sarah called this morning and said Sam wanted Jack to come over, so I left it up to Jack." He backed the cart out of the driveway, and began heading to the Gradys' house.

Elizabeth looked at Jack with wide eyes. "And you picked Sam over puppets and magicians?" she asked, tickling his waist lightly as she teased him. "Are you _sure_ you don't want to see the ballet dancers and the jazz band?"

Jack giggled and scrunched up his nose. "Sorry 'Lizabeth. Sam has two new Transformers, so I'm bringin' mine and we're gonna have a battle with the Autobots and the Decepticons. And I got my swimmin' suit too. Dad said we might go to the beach or the pool."

Elizabeth nodded. "Okay, I guess that does sound like fun," she conceded, pouting dramatically for good measure, making both father and son laugh.

It _did_ sound like fun for Jack, and honestly, the thought of having Will to herself for the day was very appealing to Elizabeth. At the same time, she'd miss having Jack with them. Just as she was getting to know Will, she felt like she was also getting to know his son, and if she and Will were going to make a go of something together, than Jack was obviously going to be a part of it. Plus, she loved spending time with both of them, together. She liked seeing that other side of Will; he was everything masculine and manly, so seeing him as a loving, gentle and doting father was incredibly attractive.

"You can show Dad all that stuff, he's really excited to go. He kept walkin' up an' down the porch, up an' down, up an' down, before you came over. When I do that, he always tells me to _sit still_."

Elizabeth laughed and peeked at Will, who was grinning in embarrassment.

"Thanks, Jack," Will said, looking straight ahead, but still smiling.

They arrived at the Gradys' house shortly after, and Sarah and Sam came out to greet them. Jack jumped out of the cart, and after giving Will a hug and shouting his goodbyes to both Will and Elizabeth, the two boys disappeared into the house.

Elizabeth could see the curiosity in Sarah's expression, and was sure that she was wondering what, if anything, was going on between Elizabeth and Will. The three of them made small talk for a few minutes, with Will confirming that Sarah didn't mind having Jack for the entire day.

"It's fine. He's great, the two of them play really well together. Go have fun, enjoy the festival," she said.

Will smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Call my cell if anything comes up."

They said their goodbyes, and Will and Elizabeth headed to the docks. Once parked and on the ferry, they settled into two seats up on the top deck, enjoying the warm sun and the light breeze. Will instantly wrapped his arm around Elizabeth, pulling her as close as possible before leaning in to kiss her again. She looked bright and fresh in a light denim skirt that fell to just above her knees and a coral-colored tank top. She wore sandals, and her thick brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"You look pretty today," he said softly as he lightly kissed the end of her nose. "Well, you look pretty every day," he corrected, winking at her.

"Thank you," she answered, "you look very handsome yourself." _Understatement of the year_, she thought. It still caught her off guard, sometimes, just how handsome he was. He looked very relaxed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts, and a casual short-sleeve button-down shirt that was several different shades of blue, which he left untucked.

"How did you sleep?" he asked, pulling her close again.

"I slept really, really well," she said, amazed that this was the case. "As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out. How about you?" She turned to look up at him, and watched as he pulled a pair of aviator glasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on, making her stomach do a little dance.

"It took me a while to fall asleep, but once I did, I was fine."

Elizabeth looked away and lowered one hand to his thigh, just above his knee, and absentmindedly moved her index finger in a figure-eight pattern, letting it lightly glide through the sprinkling of hair there. Again, Will watched her hand, just as he had watched it the night before, when she had played with his fingers while relaying the story of her marriage.

"Were you thinking about what we talked about?" she asked quietly.

Will nodded. "I was, a little." He wasn't sure if it would be prudent to confess what the the _full_ extent of his thoughts had been last night.

She turned to look up at him again. "I'm sorry if what I told you is – is bothering you. I don't want you to think about it."

Will thought that she looked as though she needed to be kissed again, so he took care of that first, before responding to what she said.

"I said I was thinking about it _a little_." _Prudence be damned_. "Mostly, I was thinking about how perfect it felt to fall asleep with you on the couch, with you curled up against me. And how it was even _more_ perfect to wake up holding you and kissing you. I actually thought to myself that I could have stayed there all night, just doing that."

Elizabeth smiled up at him, and recalled what her last thoughts had been the night before, as she was falling asleep. This time, she reached up to kiss him before she spoke. "Great minds think alike."

* * *

The festival was crowded, just as Elizabeth thought it would be. They wandered the cobblestone streets of Old Port, watching various street performers, and stopped to watch a small group of musicians. Since they didn't have Jack with them, they decided to skip the puppeteers, but did watch one of the magicians.

Will laughed when the magician grabbed Elizabeth's hand and stood her in front of the small crowd that had gathered. The man never spoke a single word, but made a big show out of somehow making a single red rose appear from thin air, and then bowed dramatically as he was about to present it to Elizabeth, making her laugh. At the last minute, however, the magician looked at Will and handed the rose to him, then gestured toward Elizabeth, as if to say, _"Get on with it, man!" _Rolling his eyes and feeling slightly embarrassed, Will handed the rose to Elizabeth with a little flourish, making the small group of spectators clap and whistle.

As they walked away, Elizabeth held the flower to her nose and inhaled deeply. "You weren't too mortified by that, were you?"

Will chuckled. "Not at all, why would you say that?" He watched as she broke off most of the stem of the rose, then affixed it into the back of her ponytail, under the elastic.

"I don't think I've seen your skin turn quite that pink before," she said, teasing him as she adjusted her hair, making sure the rose was secure. "I'm used to _me_ being that color when we're together, not you. But I must say...I've heard that real men can wear pink, and you carried it off pretty well, so..."

"Keep it up, Miss Bennet, keep it up," he said, grinning and squeezing her hand as they walked along the crowded streets.

They stopped into a few shops, mostly just to browse, as neither of them was really interested in purchasing anything. Portland had an incredibly diverse community, and the stores along the streets of the city reflected that fact.

It was getting near lunch time, and Elizabeth realized they were close to the site of Charles' new pub. "Do you think Charles is working today at his place?" she asked Will.

"Probably, he's been there constantly. I've barely spoken to him or seen him all week."

"We should stop in to see if he's there, maybe drag him away for a lunch break."

"Good idea."

They walked the two blocks further to the pub, and saw that the doors were open and workers were milling about inside. Charles was over at a table near the bar, looking over some papers with another man.

"Hey, what's a guy gotta do to get some service in this place?" Will called out over the din of voices and machinery.

Charles' head snapped up, and his face broke out in a huge smile. He said something else to the man at his side, then slapped him on the back before turning to make his way over to Will and Elizabeth.

"Hey guys, what's up? Checking out the festival?" He gave Elizabeth a kiss on the cheek and shook Will's hand.

"Yes, we thought it would be fun," Elizabeth answered. "It's always a good way to kick off the summer season."

"It is," Charles said, turning to Will. "It's the official start of the summer in Portland. You'll notice it on the island too, by this time next week it will be mobbed with people."

"Can you take a break?" Elizabeth asked. "We were thinking about grabbing some lunch, and thought we could talk you into joining us."

Charles nodded. "I'm starved, I could definitely do that." He called out to the man he'd been talking to when they walked in. "Hey, Dave, I'm going to lunch, I'll be back in a little while. I have my phone, call me if you need me." As they began to walk toward the door again, Charles looked down at his clothes. "Um, can we go someplace really, really casual?"

Elizabeth laughed, seeing the paint stains and dust coating his jeans and t-shirt. "I'm sure we can manage."

The three of them ended up getting sandwiches and drinks from a food stand not too far from the pub. Charles insisted that if they walked a little bit further toward the waterfront and away from the festival, there would be a place for them to sit and relax. Sure enough, they came upon a beautiful stone fountain surrounded by benches, and because they had wandered so far from the festival, they had ample space to sit.

"So, no Jack today?" Charles asked. "You two are wandering the streets alone?"

Will nodded. "Jack was going to come, but he got a better offer from Sam, so he very quickly ditched us."

Charles' cell phone rang, interrupting their conversation. "Sorry," he said, before answering it, then began to smile as the other person began talking.

"It just so happens, I'm sitting by the fountain on Prescott, having lunch with Will and Elizabeth," he said to the person on the other end of the phone. His eyes flicked to Will. "Um, I guess, yeah." Another pause. "Okay, sure. Bye." He cleared his throat. "That was Kate. She's on her way here. With Charlotte."

Elizabeth groaned quietly, which didn't get missed by Will. "Is that a bad thing?" he asked, looking at her curiously.

"No, of course not, it's fine." When she had texted Kate this morning, she hadn't told her that she was coming here with Will, because honestly, it would have led to a phone call, with Kate wanting to know what had happened after Thursday night, what his deal was, what he'd said, what _she'd_ said, what his excuses were, did she believe him, yada yada yada...it never would have ended, and she just didn't have the time to get into it this morning. She hadn't spoken to Charlotte either, not since yesterday morning, when they'd both been rushing out of her apartment to go to work.

Fifteen minutes later, the five of them were sitting on the benches, chatting about the festival and Charles' pub. Will felt like he was under a microscope; both of Elizabeth's friends watched him like a hawk. At one point, he wrapped his arm around Elizabeth's shoulders and placed a soft kiss on the side of her head, nuzzling her a little, and when he turned back to face them, they were blatantly staring at him.

Clearing his throat, he pointedly ignored them and turned to Charles. "So. Charles. Have you thought of any names for your beers yet?"

Charles had no idea what was going on between the women and Will, but was enjoying every minute of whatever it was. He noticed that Kate and Charlotte were very carefully watching his friend, and he felt sorry for the guy; those two were a force to be reckoned with when they wanted to be. "I've been thinking about that, yeah, but wouldn't you rather know the name of the pub first?"

"Oh, yes, I want to know," Elizabeth said, sitting up. "What is it?"

Charles stood and lifted his arms. "I am the proud owner of the Black Rock Brewery," he announced to the four of them, to which they all responded with cheers, whistles and a round of applause. "Thank you," he said, bowing deeply. "Thank you very much."

"Great name," Will said, still clapping. "Now, sit down and brainstorm some beer names."

Charles sat, and as he and Will began to talk about beer names, Elizabeth quietly chatted with Kate and Charlotte.

"So what's the deal?" Charlotte asked, glancing at Will, who mostly had his back turned to them as he talked to Charles. "You're looking all cozy and cuddly with him...am I missing something?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. You are. And I'm not talking about it now, for obvious reasons," she said, keeping her voice to a whisper. "Later."

Charlotte huffed and turned to glare at Kate.

"Don't look at me like that," Kate said, "I'm as clueless as you."

"You're _both_ clueless," Elizabeth said quietly. "Just...it's fine, it was a misunderstanding, and now it's fine. Okay?"

The other two women nodded. "Okay."

"So, your IPA is 'Diamond IPA'*. That's a good one. Basic, but good," Will said, nodding thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but the rest have me stumped," Charles replied. "I want them to have names relating to Maine, or at least to the Portland area."

"What else do you have for beers?" Elizabeth asked.

"I have a stout, a dark lager, and a blond ale."

"What about Black Rock for the stout?" she asked. "Can't one of the beers have the same name as the pub?"

Charles shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, maybe. Black Rock Stout sounds alright."

"Gee, don't look so enthusiastic," Elizabeth replied, arching a brow.

Charles laughed. "No, I like it. I'll add it to my list. My list of now, officially, one suggestion."

They all batted names back and forth, and within fifteen minutes, Charles had some credible suggestions. Diamond IPA, Lighthouse Lager, Black Rock Stout, and Casco Bay Blond were the top contenders.

"This is the most productive lunch I've had in a while," Charles said after thanking everyone. "I've got to get back, though. Hopefully, I'll see you all...later." He spoke to the group, but glanced furtively at Kate. She smiled, but said nothing other than a quick goodbye.

As he walked away, Elizabeth heard Kate sigh, and went over to stand next to her, while Will attempted to make small talk with Charlotte. "Do you want me to see if I can crash at Charlotte's place tonight?" she asked quietly. "I don't want to put a crimp in your plans."

Kate shook her head. "We don't have any plans. Although, he's hoping for some, I can tell." She chewed her bottom lip. "No, Lizzy, you can stay. If you don't, I'll let him come over. I have absolutely no willpower where he's concerned, and I have to work on that. So for tonight, will you help me?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Of course I will. Why did you call him, though? I mean, if you have no willpower around him, and you're trying to get over him...you probably shouldn't call him."

"Charlotte and I wanted to see if he was at the pub, we wanted to stop in and check it out."

Elizabeth lifted an eyebrow but said nothing.

"That's the only reason I called him, really," Kate stated.

"Okay."

"Listen, I'm going in a little early tonight. Leigh wants me to go over the new bar inventory system with her, she hasn't used it much. I told her I'd meet her at three. I'll leave the key for you under the mat outside."

Elizabeth nodded. "Thanks. I'll see you around four-thirty."

Kate and Charlotte headed back down the street toward the festival, leaving Will and Elizabeth alone once again.

"Charlotte and you are very good friends, I take it?" Will asked, a grin tugging at his lips. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him, as they stood next to the gurgling fountain.

Elizabeth groaned and dropped her forehead to his chest as her hands rested lightly on his waist. "Oh, no, what did she say? Did she threaten you with bodily harm?" She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of him, which immediately took her mind back to the previous night.

He chuckled softly. "No, she didn't. She just wanted to know a little bit about me, that's all. Mostly, she wanted to know if my behavior on Thursday night was the norm for me, or if it was what she referred to as a 'one-time moronic aberration'."

Elizabeth laughed into his shirt, completely unsurprised that Charlotte would confront him and demand an explanation. "I swear, I didn't put her up to it."

"Oh, I know. I assured her it _was_ just a moronic aberration, but also told her that there was a good chance I would be doomed to repeat it occasionally."

"She really is a very nice person. She's just..."

"Protective?" Will asked, kissing the top of her head, inhaling the scent of the rose that was still tucked into her ponytail.

"Yes, protective," Elizabeth said, looking up at him. "She's taken on the role of another sister for me, I think. Kate too."

"It's nice to have people looking out for you, everyone needs that."

Elizabeth nodded. "It is, and Charlotte's been a good friend." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips. "I'm sorry if she came on too strong, though."

"She was fine, I don't blame her for questioning me. I definitely didn't make a very good impression on Thursday night." He frowned slightly. "I'm still kicking myself for it, for making you feel badly."

"It's over and done with, can you just forget about it?" she asked, smiling up at him. "I already have. In fact, didn't you just ask me last night if I would move forward with you?"

Will nodded. "I did, and I want to do that," he said seriously.

"Well, we can't if you're still stuck on Thursday night," she said, squeezing his waist and shaking him a little. "Right?"

"Are you always this persistent?" he asked, grinning.

Elizabeth shrugged. "When I see something I want, I suppose I am." A second or two passed, and when she realized what she'd said, she felt a blush creeping up her face as she watched a smile grow on his.

"And you want _me_, is that what you're saying?" He knew she was embarrassed at the words that had slipped out, but he couldn't resist playfully prodding her a bit.

She nodded mutely, staring into his twinkling eyes.

He leaned down, lowering his head until it was next to hers. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you. Could you say that again?" he asked, teasing her lightly.

"You're awful," she said quietly, though she couldn't stop from smiling.

"That's not what you said a minute ago," he whispered in her ear. She was blushing so much that he could feel the heat coming off of her face as his hovered next to it. "Alright, I'll stop." He kissed her cheek, then moved to kiss her lips, lingering there for a long moment. When he finally, reluctantly pulled away, he stared at her before speaking again. "Just to make it clear, if it isn't already...I feel the same way, Lizzy. I want you too."

* * *

Elizabeth and Will spent some time exploring more of the festival, and stopped to watch a local band that she had seen before. She remembered that they were pretty good, and Will agreed. They played a mix of old rock and current stuff, mostly from independent artists, some of which he was familiar with. He didn't dare sing along, he couldn't carry a tune to save his life, but he enjoyed listening to Elizabeth quietly sing some of the songs. He'd stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, content to just linger there with her, holding her close.

Little did Will know that Elizabeth was thinking that very same thing; that she could have just stood there for hours, swaying to the music, wrapped in Will's embrace. When she realized it was getting close to three, she knew they needed to head to Kate's place so she could get changed and spruce up a bit for work. They made their way to the apartment, holding hands and walking slowly, both of them sad to see the day coming to a close.

Elizabeth had exchanged texts with Kate earlier, as Will had asked if he could walk her to Kate's place, and then to work, before he went back to the island. Elizabeth didn't quite feel right about having Will go up to Kate's apartment without Kate knowing, so she wanted to make sure it was okay.

_I have a question for you._

_Ask._

_Is it okay if Will goes with me to your place and hangs out while I get ready for work?_

_You're not going to dirty up my couch or anything, are you? Eww._

_I'm going to pretend you didn't ask me that._

_Of course, it's fine. My apartment's actually clean, so have at it. Well, not literally._

_Ugh. Thanks Kate. See you later._

Will sat on the couch, waiting patiently for Elizabeth to get changed into her work uniform. He glanced around the apartment, not really looking at anything in particular, but he did notice a small, framed photo of Kate and Charles on the door of Kate's refrigerator. He got up and walked over to it, wanting to see it up close. They looked like a happy couple, at least in the picture.

Elizabeth emerged from Kate's bedroom, wearing her black dress pants, white blouse, and black shoes. She had brushed her hair out, then put it back into a ponytail again, and had re-attached the rose, working the stem under the elastic so she wouldn't lose it. The last thing she did was apply a bit of make-up, though soon enough, as her summer color deepened, she wouldn't need it.

Will turned to look at her and frowned a little, making her look down at herself, then back up at him. "What? Do I have something on my blouse?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm just bummed that you have to go to work, that's all. I wish we could go back to the island and cook out, or go out to eat or something."

She smiled sadly. "Me too."

Will couldn't stop focusing on her mouth, on her lips, and the little tint of whatever she had applied to them. They looked full, and pink, and definitely needed to be kissed. "How long before you have to be to work?" he asked as he walked to stand in front of her.

"Um...about forty-five minutes."

"And how long does it take to get to Grace from here?" he asked, moving a bit closer.

Elizabeth looked up at him, really needing to tilt her head back, as he was standing so close, towering over her. "Um...twenty – twenty minutes. Give or – give or take a minute or two." A shiver of awareness passed through her body; she wasn't oblivious to the way he was looking at her, and knew what he was thinking, even before he gave voice to it.

Will reached up to lightly trace his fingers along the line of Elizabeth's jaw, then down the slope of her neck to where it met the collar of her shirt, before tracing back up again. "I've been waiting to kiss you all day."

Elizabeth laughed, though it came out as more of a breathless sigh. "You _have_ been kissing me all day. Not – not that I'm complaining."

"Not the way I want to kiss you," Will said, lifting his other hand so that he was now cupping her face gently. "We have a few minutes, don't we?" he asked, his voice low. "I can't think of a better way to pass the time. Can you?"

"No," Elizabeth whispered, watching as his head lowered toward hers, feeling him tilt her head back in his large hands. "I think your idea is –."

Elizabeth's words were extinguished as his mouth softly met hers. He kissed her top lip, her bottom lip, the corners of her mouth, then her eyes and her cheeks; light, teasing kisses, designed to torment, before returning to her mouth again. Her lips parted, and she tasted the now familiar flavor of him, the flavor she craved, as he deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him right where he was, as she responded to him.

Will groaned, a low sound forced from deep in his chest, as he let his hands fall from her face in order to wrap them around her waist, caging her tightly to his body. They swayed as they kissed, and without thinking, he moved toward the couch and lowered himself, pulling her down with him to sit across his lap, not caring that she would instantly be aware of just how aroused he was becoming.

For a brief, distracting moment, Elizabeth thought of Kate's text regarding the couch, but as quickly as the thought came, it was gone, driven away by Will's endless attentions to her. Their kisses grew longer, more passionate, harder, until they were straining against each other. Her upper body was twisted and pressed against his, her legs hanging off of his lap, and every part of her was throbbing with want and desire, desire for him.

She felt one of his hands as it slowly began to slide up from her waist toward her breast, and instinctively she stiffened. His hand immediately stopped and began to travel back to her waist. Pulling away and breaking the kiss, she looked at him and shook her head, breathing heavily.

"Touch me," she whispered, staring into his eyes, the irises so dark they almost looked black. "I want you to touch me." She reached down to grasp his hand, and began to guide it back up from her waist, awkwardly urging him to touch her where she wanted to be touched. Her breasts felt heavy with anticipation, the tips already tight and aching. Suddenly, she felt the warmth of his hand as it slid under her blouse and trailed up her side, then felt the slow movement of it over the material of her thin, lacy bra, and she sagged into him, sighing into his mouth as she kissed him again.

Will held the perfect, round weight of her breast in his hand, lightly cupping it with his fingers, and as he let his thumb circle and drift over the peak, he felt as if he was in heaven. Her response to him was so uninhibited and sensual, she had no idea how alluring she was, how beautiful she looked with her cheeks flushed with desire. Every time he rubbed his thumb over the tight bud, he felt her arch her back and push into his palm, silently asking him for more, until he finally rolled it between his fingertips through the lace of her bra. Just that small action alone had caused him to grow harder, his erection straining against his shorts, pressing against her hip. Still, he kept his movements gentle and undemanding, and made sure he remained aware enough to notice any sign from her that this was escalating too quickly.

Elizabeth was lost in a haze of sensation. His mouth on hers, his hand on her breast...she wanted to feel him, to feel his skin, the way she had imagined last night. Slowly, she moved her hand to his left hip, and felt around for the bottom of his shirt. Finding it, she slid her hand up and under, finally coming into contact with warm, bare skin. She smiled against his lips as she felt him jump a little, obviously surprised at the feel of her hand on his body. He continued to stroke and lightly knead her breast, and she found that she wanted more, wanted his mouth and his hands everywhere, kissing her and touching her.

That thought brought the reality of what they were doing, and more importantly, _where_ they were doing it, crashing into her mind. She broke the kiss and sat back slightly, looking at him as he kept his eyes closed. His lips were swollen and parted, and he was breathing heavily. She knew he was working on regaining control of himself, just like she was. His hand still caressed her breast, but now began to slow its movements, and after a few more gentle strokes, he let it slide back to her waist to hold her loosely.

Elizabeth was suddenly aware of the hardness of him pressing into her hip, and she backed away from him a little more, feeling as though she needed to give him space, even though she remained on his lap. His eyes finally opened but remained hooded, and in that split-second, she thought that he _absolutely_ had to be the most gorgeous, sexiest man on the face of the earth. His cheeks were flushed as well, and his eyes, the way he was looking at her...he _wanted_ her. And she realized now, without a doubt, that she wanted him too, wanted to give herself to him and feel the pleasure that those eyes promised.

That thought, while surprising in its intensity, didn't frighten her. Without saying anything, she carefully leaned against him, relaxing against his chest and resting her head on his shoulder. They both worked at slowing their breathing and calming themselves. Finally, after a few quiet minutes, Will spoke, stroking one hand through her ponytail.

"Are you alright?"

Elizabeth nodded and answered quietly. "Yes." It wasn't completely true, though. While she had just acknowledged to herself the strength of her attraction to him, she also wasn't sure that she had handled that attraction all that well. _Asking him to touch me? Practically begging him? What would he think?_

"Hey," Will whispered, lightly shrugging his shoulder so that she would lift her head. "What's the matter?"

Elizabeth swallowed. "I just don't want you to think I'm..." She sighed, not wanting to explain it. This is how it always happened with Bill, in the past; she'd ask for something, or try something during...intimate moments, and he'd shut her down, telling her she was behaving improperly, or too aggressively, and that the man was to be in control during such times...and when you heard something often enough, it was easy to begin to believe it. How could she explain that to Will? He interrupted her anxious thoughts.

"Did you enjoy what just happened?" he asked, seeing the passion that had been on her face only moments ago morph into uncertainty.

She nodded but didn't speak.

"I did too," he said, lightly touching her cheek, "more than you could possibly know. Elizabeth, I won't rush you, but I'll follow your lead and your cues. If you ask me to touch you, I'm not going to say no, I'm going to touch you. I _want_ to touch you. Constantly."

"I want to touch you too," she said, feeling emboldened and encouraged by what he was saying.

He smiled softly. "I'm glad that you do, so please, help yourself."

She laughed a little at that, and they were quiet again.

"Just don't be embarrassed or – or feel like you're doing something wrong," he went on. "This is all part of what we discussed: moving forward. I want to earn your trust, in every way, in every aspect of what's happening between us. Physical trust as well as emotional trust. Anything that happens between us is under your control, all the time. Okay?"

She nodded again, and felt tears come to her eyes. "Okay."

_I'm nervous too_, he wanted to tell her. This was all new to him as well. And he _would _tell her, at some point, but not right now; he didn't want to turn the conversation around and make it about him. That would happen another day...probably soon. He didn't want her to think that she was alone in how she felt; he certainly had his own insecurities and fears about the whole physical part of their relationship, and when the time was right, he'd share them with her, just as she'd shared with him.

Will stared down into her face, aware of the fact that she was playing with his hand again, tangling her fingers in his and squeezing them. "Are you ready to be escorted to work?"

She sighed. "Mm, I guess."

He chuckled and nudged her a little. "If you would be so kind as to climb off my lap and give me a minute to...settle down, I'd be happy to take you."

Elizabeth moved off of his lap and stood, her legs shaky. He rose as well, and again, they looked at each other and smiled, then kissed lightly, almost chastely.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said softly.

"For what?" he asked, tilting his head, trying to read her thoughts.

"For understanding me," she answered. And he _did_ understand her, so well. "And for being so patient."

Will leaned in to kiss her again. "You're welcome, but you don't need to thank me. Believe me, Lizzy, you're worth waiting for."

* * *

Later that evening, Will sat out on the back deck, enjoying the sound of the crickets intermingled with the noisy tree frogs. He had picked Jack up at the Gradys' as soon as he'd arrived back on the island, and had listened to his son's steady narration of the days events. The Gradys had fed him dinner, and so Will only had to make something quick for himself.

Jack had wanted to play a board game before he went to bed, and Will had agreed, although honestly, his heart hadn't been in it. His mind kept wandering to different things; different, meaning Elizabeth, of course, and the day they'd spent together...especially their time spent at Kate's apartment. Just thinking of it caused a riot of feelings, not the least of which was arousal and excitement, and so he decided he was better off thinking of other things besides sexy, alluring librarians. It wasn't long before Jack's bedtime was upon them, and after tucking him in, he had grabbed a water and had walked outside to sit.

His mind traveled to his sister, and he wondered how her return home had been. Without giving it a second thought, he went back inside to grab his cell phone and call her. Chances were that on a Saturday night, she'd be out, but maybe she wouldn't be. He was lucky; she picked up on the third ring, and he plopped down on the couch in the living room to talk to her.

"Hi Will," she said happily.

"Hey, Georgie, how are you?" he replied, relieved that she sounded upbeat.

"I'm great, how are you? What's up?"

"Oh, not much. I just put Jack to bed. Are you in the middle of anything?"

"No," she answered, "I'm actually home. I went out last night, and didn't get home until late – or rather, early this morning – so I figured I'd lay low tonight."

"Early this morning, huh?"

Georgiana grinned. "You know how it is in the city."

"Mmm, I know how it is. You're being careful, right? Not walking around alone?"

"Will, I very rarely walk anywhere, and I'm always with friends. We take cabs as much as we can. We don't do much, we're usually just hanging out at someone's place. No clubs for me yet."

Will sighed. "No, that'll be soon enough, I guess."

"So what are you up to? No hot date tonight?" she teased.

Will chuckled. "Not tonight. Elizabeth and I spent the day together, though, at the Arts Festival in Portland."

"Oh, that's good. Did she come over to watch movies last night?"

"Yeah, she did. But it was just one movie, Jack conked out at the end of the first one."

"Was he okay after I left? He seemed to be doing alright. I swear, if he had cried, I was going to break down, I was _this_ _close_ to losing it."

"He was fine. A little quiet for a bit, but he snapped out of it. Though, you'll have to plan another trip soon, and this time, bring Alice with you."

"I will, we'll work something out."

"Did you have a chance to talk to Dad yet?" Will asked, wanting to get to the root of his phone call.

"I did, and actually...it went really well. He was very accepting of what I had to say."

Will's eyebrows rose. "That's great, G. What did you tell him?"

"Well," she answered, "I just – I told him the truth. I told him I wasn't interested in being involved in the family business, in any capacity. I told him that I was grateful for the opportunities the business has provided for me, and that I respect what he and Grandpa Darcy did with the company, and how they've built it into this successful empire...but that I would make Dad's life a living hell if I had to work for him."

Will laughed. "You said that to him? Really?"

"I did, I really did. He actually thought it was funny. And then, when I finally told him what I think I want to do, what I want to pursue...he wasn't surprised."

"Care to clue me in?"

"Oh! I think I want to apply to a Physician's Assistant program, or a Nurse Practitioner's program...I'm not sure which one yet. I have to do a bit more research on each."

"Wow, Georgie, that's great...and it's no surprise to me either, I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Will replied. "You were always into that stuff...dissecting things, watching all those gross documentaries on TV...and you always got straight A's in any science course you took. I remember that."

"Dad remembered too."

Will was silent for a moment. "That surprised you, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. I just...I thought he'd be shocked at my decision, but he really wasn't."

Will pondered that for a moment. "He wants you to be happy, Georgiana, that's what it all comes down to. Maybe he's finally realizing that what makes him happy isn't necessarily going to make his kids happy."

Georgiana sighed quietly. "He asked about you, and about Jack."

"Yeah?" Will asked flatly.

"Yes, he did. He wanted to know how you were doing, how Jack was doing."

"What did you tell him?" Will asked, curious as to what she had said, and how his father had reacted.

"I told him that you were both very happy. I told him that you had a beautiful home, and that you seemed content. Like the old you."

Will smiled. "I feel like the old me...but different. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, I think it does. I know what you mean." She cleared her throat. "He asked about Elizabeth, too."

Will eyes opened wide. "He asked about _Elizabeth_?"

"Yes, he wanted to know if I'd met her. Did you tell him about her?"

"No, I didn't," Will said firmly. He sighed loudly. "Well, Jack mentioned her name on the phone to him...and so of course, Dad tried to antagonize me, get me to talk about her. It didn't work though. I don't want him to know a thing about her."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Will cursed to himself.

"Georgiana, what did you tell him?"

"I – he spoke about her as if he knew about her. He knew she was a librarian –."

"I – I told him that, we were arguing...I let it slip."

"Oh...well, he said that he – he thought Jack seemed to like her, or something like that, and I told him that – that you both did. I told him that you took her out while I was there, and that – that you really seemed to be fond of her."

Will could hear the note of apology in his sister's voice, but still, he groaned into the phone.

"I'm sorry, Will, he just – Dad made it seem like you had talked about her with him, and I thought – I thought that maybe you two had talked again, and...I'm sorry."

"Georgie, it's fine," Will said calmly, though he was incredibly annoyed; not at her, but at his father. "I'm sure he made it look like he knew all about Elizabeth already." _Manipulative bastard._

"He did, I swear he did. I was even caught a little off-guard by what he was saying, but it seemed like he was just genuinely curious, so...I told him. Not a ton of stuff, but...oh, enough I guess."

Will could tell she was beating herself up. "Don't worry about it, G. Dad has a million ways of getting information when he wants it. You just happened to be the most convenient way at the time. I'm sure he'll be digging around, trying to find out more information."

"Why can't he just be happy for you?" Georgiana asked, her voice sad.

"I wish I knew."

She sighed again. "Do you think he'll leave it alone? Leave you alone?"

Will's eyebrows raised into his forehead. _Fat chance_. "I don't know, G, I don't know. Time will tell, I suppose."

They talked a few minutes longer, with Georgiana apologizing again before they hung up. He told her, once again, that she had nothing to be sorry for. Their father had a way of getting what he wanted, most of the time. _But not when it comes to me_, Will thought. _Never when it comes to me_.

And just as he'd told Georgiana, time would tell if his father would indeed let him be.

* * *

*IPA = India Pale Ale

_So, what do you think, will Robert let his son be? Please leave a review if you can! Thanks._


	20. Chapter 19

_Loved reading everyone's comments this week regarding who the visitor would be, and then reading what everyone thinks of Jane, and Charles, and Robert...and of course, our dear couple. Huge thanks to Mariana and Jane for being the best betas **ever**, and thanks to all of you for reading along faithfully. _

_Time to meet someone new..._

* * *

**Chapter 19**

Richard Fitzwilliam sat back in his seat on the plane, cursing every second of the one-hour and twenty-minute flight that he was about to take from JFK to Portland, Maine. It was entirely too early, his head was pounding from his over-indulgences the night before, and the flight attendant wouldn't give him anything to drink until the plane took off. _A little hair of the dog would go a long way._

To top it all off, he had to take a goddamned _boat_ to some island in order to find his cousin. As if he didn't have better things to do the day before July 4th. And it was a Sunday, at that. He should be back in New York, sleeping off this fucking hangover and getting ready to celebrate America's independence with a sweet bottle of tequila in one hand, and an even sweeter blond in the other. But no. Instead, he was doing his uncle's bidding, just as he always did. No complaints.

Robert had wanted him to go to Portland a week ago, but Richard had persuaded him that it made more sense for him to go when it was closer to the Fourth; he could use the excuse of being concerned for his cousin's welfare and state of mind. After all, 'the accident' had happened on the Fourth, although Anne had held on for another two weeks or so. _Tough little bitch, that one_, he thought. They'd never gotten along well; he'd thought she was an ice queen who wasn't nearly good enough for his cousin, and she'd thought he was a pandering ass-kisser who couldn't be trusted. He laughed to himself. _She had me pegged._

At any rate, Anne was gone now, and traditionally, Darcy slipped into a funk during the anniversary of that two-week period, during which she had ungraciously held on by a thread, keeping Darcy and the DeBourghs suspended in a hellish limbo. Yes, Darcy always crawled even deeper into himself for those fifteen days, and the only thing that seemed to get through to him was Number 3, as Richard referred to Jack. Darcy would do anything for that kid, and during those fifteen days in July...that kid was the only thing that Darcy was aware of.

Things between himself and Darcy weren't the best at the moment, but what else was new? At least they'd been fairly civil to each other...until this last blowout between father and son, that is. _But really, Darcy, what the fuck? Maine? _He still didn't get it, couldn't even _begin_ to understand the motivation behind it, but for right now, he would pretend that he did. He would show concern for his cousin, play with Jack, and state emphatically that Darcy's new home was just _perfect_, and the clean, exhaust-free Maine air was as _invigorating_ as all get out, and the sight of the ocean was absolutely _enthralling_.

Two hours later, he was standing curbside at the airport, trying to find a cab. Unlike New York, where cabs were more common than privately owned cars, Portland seemed to have one cab company, aptly named 'Yellow Cab'. Finally, one pulled up to the curb in front of him. The aging driver climbed out and put his suitcase in the trunk, and Richard climbed into the backseat.

"Where ya off to, friend?" the driver asked politely.

Richard threw his hands up. "I need to get to the boat that takes me to...to...shit, some island somewhere." He thought for a moment as the cabbie just stared blankly at him in the rear-view mirror. "Emerald Isle? Is that one of the islands around here?"

The driver laughed. "Son, if you're lookin' for the Emerald Isle, you got the wrong airport. In fact, you got the wrong continent." He continued to chuckle. "Now, if you're talkin' 'bout an island with a gemstone in the name, you got to be talkin' 'bout Great Diamond Island. Or maybe Little Diamond Island?"

"That's it!" Richard said, pointing a finger at the driver. "Great Diamond Island."

The driver pulled his cab away from the curb. "That's a pretty little place. You'll need to take the Casco Bay Ferry over there, yuh. She goes back and forth pretty often."

"How long does it take?"

"Well, forty minutes or so, give or take a few minutes. Nice trip. Where ya from?"

"New York," Richard said, groaning to himself. _Since when do cab drivers make polite chatter?_

"I knew that weren't a New England accent you got there. You're not a Yankees fan, are ya?"

Richard raised his eyebrows and returned the man's stare in the mirror. "As a matter of fact, yes, I am."

"Well, best ta keep a lid on that, if ya know what I mean," the driver said, chuckling again.

Richard had never been so happy to see the end of a cab ride in his life. He climbed out while the driver retrieved his bag from the trunk, and paid him the fare, as well as a hefty tip. _Maybe that will help him retire before I need a ride back to the airport_, he thought.

He purchased his ticket for the ferry and waited to board, running his next moves through his mind. He figured he would just call Will when he arrived, and ask him to pick him up. He had no idea what the address of the house was, and the last thing he was about to do was wander around aimlessly, looking for a quaint little mailbox with the name 'Darcy' stenciled on it.

Richard was able to relax on the ferry, reading over some reports that Robert had given him to peruse during his 'free time'. _Of which I never have any_, he mused, _and what little I do have is certainly not spent reading reports. _When it was time to leave the ferry and set foot on the island, he noticed a small shuttle bus, of sorts, waiting in the parking lot. It was parked alongside...golf carts. Lots of golf carts. That's when he noticed there wasn't a single car in the lot. _Oh, this just gets better and better_.

He approached the driver of the shuttle, who was waiting patiently for customers.

"How are you today?" Richard asked, smiling widely.

"I'm fine, sir, how are you?"

"I'm just great. I'm actually looking for my cousin, he moved here not too long ago with his son. I wanted to surprise him, but I'm afraid I lost the paper with his address on it. Would you happen to know Will Darcy and his son, Jack?"

The driver smiled. "'Course I do, I know just where Mr Darcy lives. Go ahead and climb on, I'll take you right there, just as soon as I see if anyone else needs a ride."

They waited another ten minutes or so, and when it was clear that no one else needed the shuttle, the driver headed out.

"Mr Darcy bought the Millers' place, out on Old Dock Lane. Nice spot of land, with a view of the bay to boot. Wasn't on the market long, he snapped it right up."

"I've heard it's quite lovely," Richard replied drolly.

His mind had already drifted away from the inane conversation of the shuttle driver, and back to how he would explain his unannounced visit. Somehow, he had to convince Darcy that he was there on a peace-keeping mission, and not on a reconnaissance mission, although that's basically what it was. Robert Darcy had made his expectations clear: Richard was to find out all that there was to know about his son's new life and the people in it. Especially Elizabeth Bennet.

* * *

For Elizabeth, the week since the festival had passed in a blur. There was work, and time spent with friends, and plans made with her sisters. Lydia had called to find out when would be a good time to come and visit, and had made it a point to say that she and Jane would both be coming at the same time. Elizabeth had agreed that it sounded fine.

She wanted things to get back to normal between herself and her older sister, and thought that some time together might be just what they needed. She also wanted Jane to have the opportunity to get to know Will better, to see what a wonderful, genuine person he was, and to see how far off-base her assumptions were about him. More than that, she wanted Jane to see how happy Will made her, and see how perfectly they fit together. She wouldn't force it, though. If Jane still stubbornly clung to her opinions, Elizabeth would just have to let it go. The most important thing, to Elizabeth, was that _she_ knew Will's true feelings. _That's all that matters._

Elizabeth and Lydia had agreed that the best time for a visit would be after the Fourth of July holiday, when Jane's summer school class had a small break, and so they planned – tentatively – for the second week of July. Elizabeth told Lydia that she would look into getting some time off, and would let her know if it worked out.

For the most part, though, the week following the festival consisted of a lot of time spent with Will (and when not spending it with him, at the very least, _thinking_ about him). Sometimes it was just the two of them, but most of the time they were with Jack as well. Will had decided to call Jess Grady, and she babysat for Jack twice so that they could go out at night and enjoy some time alone.

The first time they went out they'd stayed on the island, as Will wasn't too comfortable with going very far. They hadn't done much of anything, really. They picked up take-out from the market and had eaten at her place while watching a movie. It had been raining that night, so their original plans of having a picnic at the beach went by the wayside.

Elizabeth enjoyed having Will at her house, but it was almost comical to see him walking around, getting things from the kitchen, and settling into her couch. He just seemed...oversized, larger than life. He had worn faded jeans and a black shirt, and stood out like a sore thumb in all those feminine pastel colors. _A gorgeous sore thumb, _she thought.

The second time they'd gone out, just two nights ago, Will had come over to the mainland to meet her after work. He was assured by Sarah Grady that if anything came up, she would be home and would be available, which made Will feel better about being a ferry-trip away.

They'd walked around the bustling streets of Portland, always busy on a Friday night, before heading to The Land Room for an early dinner. The Land Room was equivalent to Grace, as far as the quality of the food and service. It was a much smaller restaurant, however, and far more intimate, and usually, it was impossible to get a table without a reservation. They had lucked out, though, and had enjoyed an incredible dinner, before slowly working their way to the ferry dock to head home.

Besides their two 'date nights', the three of them had spent Elizabeth's day off on Wednesday at the beach. This time, she'd had no qualms about jumping in and joining Will and Jack as they played in and out of the surf, although she did make sure to give them some time alone.

She worried that Jack would feel like she was impinging on his time with his father, although he never seemed resentful of her being there. He was friendly and engaging, and she made it a point to interact with him as much as possible. Not because she felt like she had to, but because she enjoyed getting to know him, and getting those interesting glimpses inside the mind of a five-year-old boy. He was obviously smart and well-spoken, but he was also filled with energy and silliness and seemed to never stop moving.

That day at the beach, she had been pleasantly surprised when Jack had asked her to go rock hunting with him. She immediately said that she'd love to, and off they went, leaving Will to wave after them, smiling, as they walked away. Jack was determined to find bits of the twisted black rock that lined the cove. As they walked along, staring down at the sand, they began to talk. Elizabeth loved the conversations she had with Jack, as they were more like little adventures; she never quite knew where they'd end up. As he picked up rock after rock, trying to find the elusive black ones, he had mentioned visiting the 'Nature Museum' in New York – which she assumed to be the Museum of Natural History – and so she took the opportunity to ask him what he thought of living in the city.

"It's loud sometimes," he'd said, "and there are lots of people everywhere. Dad used to take me to the park a lot, we went to the castle and stuff."

"The castle?"

"Yeah, there's a castle in the park. The park is named Central Park, and the castle is named Belvedere Castle. Didn't you know that?" he asked with a note of disbelief in his voice, as if everyone should know that there's a castle in Central Park.

"No, I didn't know that," Elizabeth said, bumping him playfully as they walked. "I've never been to Central Park. I've never even been to New York."

Jack's eyes widened. "Wow." He paused for a moment, obviously pondering something. "I've never been to Massachusetts."

Elizabeth laughed. "See? So now we're even." She remembered, though, that Jack _had_ been to Massachusetts with his mother and father, and more specifically to Cape Cod, when he was very little. He obviously had no memory of it at all.

"Maybe we can go to New York on a trip, and then to Massachusetts," Jack said. "My dad knows all the fun places in New York, and you can show us all the fun places in Massachusetts."

He wasn't looking at Elizabeth as he spoke, he was still looking down into the sand, so he couldn't see how his words had affected her; he was talking about doing something with her, the three of them, planning something. Granted, he was just a young boy, unaware of how what he was saying would be construed, but his words struck her just the same. His chatter continued on, forcing her attention back to him.

"I like Maine better than New York," he stated firmly, and this time he looked up at her as they walked.

She smiled at him. "You do? Why is that?"

"I like havin' a yard to play in, and I like drivin' around in the Batmobile, and ridin' on the ferry." He shrugged and simultaneously reached up to push his bangs out of his eyes. "Plus, my dad was always sad in New York. He's not sad here."

This time she was speechless, and even more so when, after declaring that their search for the elusive black rocks was over, he reached and took hold of her hand, as if he'd done it a dozen times before, and not just that one time in Portland. He began to talk again, this time about the Central Park Zoo, and he told her all about his favorite animals as they made their way back to Will.

She understood, more than anything, that Jack was the center of Will's existence; there was no such thing as an exclusive claim to Will. She shared him, and she was more than okay with that; it was the way it should be, really. And just as her feelings were growing for Will, she realized that they were growing for his son as well.

Besides those particular times, she and Will had managed to see each other every day or night, even if it wasn't for anything they'd specifically planned. During these hours spent together, they had talked endlessly, sometimes about serious things – he had finally discovered her penchant for a good debate – but sometimes about silly, mundane things as well. There wasn't anything they hadn't touched on, from politics and the state of the world, to pop culture and sports.

Sometimes Will would show up with Jack and give Elizabeth a ride to the ferry in the morning, or she'd swing by his house to pick them up if she'd driven his cart home the night before. A couple of times, Will and Jack had been at the ferry to pick her up in the afternoon when she returned home. She'd had dinner at their house, deciding to cook for them, which had made her feel so giddy with some...unidentifiable feeling, it was almost ridiculous.

And every night ended the same way, no matter if it was a 'date night' or just time spent hanging out at his house; with the two of them tangled up in each other, kissing, touching, slowly working past her apprehension and timidity.

Will was a patient man. Elizabeth had set her own boundaries, and he left it up to her to determine how far she would push them. But that was the way he wanted it, she knew that; though he would never say no to her, he would only go as far as she wanted him to. On the night that they had gone to dinner at The Land Room, they had ended up at her house after, on her couch. She was lying over him, and after kissing for a length of time, she had sat up and looked at him, gloriously sprawled out as he was, one leg braced on the floor.

Without saying a word, she began to unbutton his shirt. He remained quiet as well, the only sound in the room that of their heavy breathing as her trembling hands did their work. When she was done, she spread the shirt wide and stared at his chest, before slowly reaching forward with both hands to tentatively touch him. She almost pulled away when she heard and felt him suck in a breath, it had startled her so, but she didn't. Other than that small movement he was perfectly still, lying there like a statue, letting her control everything.

Her fingers traveled over his muscles and traced over the slight indentations of his ribs. His skin was hot, and she finally found out what the hair on his chest felt like; it was soft, not coarse at all. She watched her hands, and as they glided over his heart, she could feel it pounding heavily in his chest. Raising her eyes, she looked into his, and the dark heat there pulled her in, silently encouraging her and making her feel bold. Making her feel _wanted_.

Slowly, she moved her hands to her own buttons, and began to repeat the action, undoing each one. Strangely, her hands had completely stopped shaking, and as Will watched them move lower and lower down the front of her blouse, she saw the heat in his eyes intensify, their color almost black. He reached up with his hands to still hers, and she read the question in his eyes clearly: _Are you sure? _

Elizabeth was sure. Since she had grown used to the feel of his hands on her, she began to _crave_ his touch, so much so that just kissing him would make her skin tingle and ache. She was ready for more, wanted more, wanted to feel his touch on her bare skin. Her fingers continued their work, and Will had dropped his hands and watched with rapt attention as she parted her blouse and unclasped the front of her lacy pink bra in one fluid motion. She stopped then, afraid of moving a muscle, and had let the bra just hang open, still partially covering her.

Will's eyes had moved from her chest to her face, and he stared at her for what seemed like endless minutes, but for what was probably only seconds. He was still breathing heavily, they both were, and his cheeks were flushed pink. Finally, he reached for her, but not for her exposed skin; instead, he cupped her face and pulled her back down over him to kiss her. Her bra parted further, and as her bare breasts came into contact with the warm skin of his chest, they both groaned in mutual satisfaction and pleasure.

Everything after that was a blur of Elizabeth's senses. It was the feel of his hands on her breasts, so gentle and tender, but it was also the look on his face as he watched his hands caress her body. It was the scent and taste of his skin as she finally bent to kiss his chest and stomach; and the wet heat of his mouth as it finally closed over the tip of one breast and sucked rhythmically, drawing her deeper into him, while she was helpless to control the writhing of her body over his. He switched to the other breast, giving it the same loving treatment, before leaving them altogether in order to trail warm, damp kisses up her neck and back to her mouth.

Thinking back on that night, one thing that had stuck in Elizabeth's mind was the expression on Will's face as he'd gazed upon her exposed breasts for the first time. She knew why she couldn't get that image out of her thoughts; it was so drastically different from how Bill had ever looked at her. She couldn't help but think back to her experiences with her ex-husband after they'd gotten married, how he'd always made comments about the size of her breasts._ "They'd be perfect if they were just a little bigger,"_ he would say. _"Someday, when we have enough money put away, you can get them enhanced. Then they'll be just right."_

All of that had been erased by Will. He had gazed at her as if she was the most exquisite woman he'd ever seen, and had whispered to her just how beautiful she was, how desirable, as he kissed her. He'd held her and touched her as if she was precious to him, and before the night was through, he'd had her convinced that she was.

Before he'd left to drive home, she'd begun to feel unsure of herself and what she had done, what she had let happen, but onlybecause _she_ had instigated it and encouraged it.

_Wanton. Brazen. Aggressive._

The words had reverberated through her mind repeatedly. Will had read her like a book, though, and knew just what was going on, and what she was thinking. When he asked her, and she confirmed it to him, he reassured her that he didn't see it like that, didn't see_ her_ like that, and would never. He saw her actions as a sign of her being brave and trusting, trusting of _him_, which meant the world to him.

Now, she stood in his kitchen making breakfast for the three of them on Sunday morning, as if she'd done it a thousand times before. She had left his house late last night, but before she'd left, he'd asked if she would come have breakfast with him and Jack in the morning. Of course she'd said yes, and when she arrived around nine-thirty in the Batmobile, she announced that she wanted to cook, and commandeered Jack as her assistant chef, which thrilled him.

They cooked French toast and bacon, and talked of everything important to a five-year-old boy: Transformers, swimming, dogs (he wanted one), and how he imagined his school to be. He was in charge of dipping the bread into the batter, so it ended up getting a little messy, but he liked helping out and they had fun doing it. Will had wandered off to read the paper, and Elizabeth could see that he was giving her some time of her own with Jack, which made her happy.

The three of them sat outside on the deck, enjoying the warm morning sun as they ate. After Elizabeth finished her last bite, she sat back in the chair and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her face as she drank the last of her coffee. She felt Will reach for her hand as it rested on the arm of the chair, and without opening her eyes, she held it tightly, letting her thumb stroke his.

"Dad, can we play catch?" Jack asked. "I have the gloves in my fort."

"After I clean up the kitchen, okay?" Will answered.

"Alright. Do I hafta help?"

"No, you helped cook, so you're off the hook for clean-up. Just take your plate and your glass inside and leave them on the counter, please."

"'Kay." Jack rose from the table and did as he was asked, then came back outside and ran across the yard to his fort, where he disappeared inside.

Elizabeth's eyes were still closed, but she could feel Will's gaze on her, and she smiled a little. "You're staring."

"Yup," he answered softly, but without hesitation.

Her smile grew, but she didn't say anything.

"What are you thinking about?" Will asked, intrigued by the expression on her face. She looked happy and content.

"You. Us," she answered honestly. "Friday night, in particular."

"Reaaallly," he said, his voice low. "And what part of Friday night were you thinking about?"

Her smile broadened further. "All the parts." She was purposely being vague, leaving him to wonder.

Actually, what she was thinking about, for about the fiftieth time since that night, was the multitude of expressions that had crossed his face during the entire evening. She was learning to read him, beginning to understand what he was thinking and feeling by the look on his face. And, well, to be honest, she was _also_ thinking about being on the couch with him, and how his lips had felt on her skin... Just thinking about it, reliving it, gave her that now-familiar feeling down low in her stomach, almost like butterflies, but far, far better.

"I've been thinking about all the parts that involve..._your _parts," he said quietly, and this time his voice was very close to her ear.

Her eyes flew open and when she turned to him, his face was even with hers, making it all too easy to kiss him, which she did. He reached up to hold her face with one hand, deepening the kiss, and something inside her completely softened.

It was an ideal moment in time, and in some ways, felt more intimate than their cautious forays into the physical part of their relationship. Cooking with Jack, eating with the two of them, sitting here and kissing Will as Jack played in the yard...she was becoming a part of his life, of _their_ lives, just as they were becoming a part of hers. A big part.

Will broke the kiss slowly and lifted his head from hers, still keeping it close. He looked as though he was about to say something, but then stopped. After a moment, he finally did speak.

"I've got kitchen duty," he said softly. "Will you keep me company?"

"I'll help you," she said, reaching up to let her fingertips glide over his cheekbone, then further down to his jaw, where she traced over the stubble that was liberally sprinkled there. _This is what he must look like when he wakes up in the morning,_ she thought suddenly, and felt her cheeks flame. Thankfully, for once, he didn't seem to notice.

"No, I'll clean, since you and Jack cooked." He smiled. "You can sit on the counter and keep me company."

She laughed at the pleased expression on his face. "You have a thing for me being up there, don't you?" she asked as she placed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"It has its advantages," he answered as he rose from the table.

They cleared the rest of the dishes and brought them into the house, and Elizabeth wasn't surprised when Will playfully lifted her up and sat her on the island.

"What is it about the counter?" she asked, though she likely already knew his answer.

"Better vantage point for kissing," he stated matter-of-factly. "No bending means no crick in my neck." To demonstrate and prove his point, he kissed her, at first just teasing her with little nips and bites, but then deepening it, causing her to sway forward. When he stopped, he looked down at her thighs, mostly bared due to the shorts she was wearing. "Easy access to...very soft skin," he said, his voice slightly husky, as he let his fingertips trail up and down the tops of her thighs, stopping to make little circles on the insides of them with his thumbs.

Will watched Elizabeth's response to his attentions, and saw the way her eyes softened and became almost drowsy-looking. They had made such strides this week, not just physically, but in every respect. They were sharing themselves completely, and for the first time in a long time, he felt...whole. It was hard to explain, but it was almost as if little pieces of him that had been scattered to the wind were starting to work themselves back together again.

The skin of her neck seemed to call out to him, and he moved as close as he could to her, standing between her knees. He nearly groaned out loud when he felt her legs hook loosely around the back of his thighs, at the same time that her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He bent to her, kissing her neck, licking the spot where her pulse pounded before pressing his lips to it. Her heart was beating rapidly, as was his, and after giving a lot of attention to that little patch of smooth skin – one that had become his favorite – he moved back to her lips and kissed her again.

Elizabeth clutched at Will's hair, loving the thickness of it in her hands, holding his head in place so he couldn't pull away. His thumbs were still tracing little circles on her inner thighs, sending arcs of sensation higher, making her want to widen her knees and pull him in further against her. Just as she was having that thought, she felt his hands leave her legs and slide under her shirt, moving upward until he began to stroke over the thin material of her bra, alternating between squeezing gently and caressing and teasing her breasts, before letting his thumbs slip underneath to gently flick across their tightened, aroused peaks. Still he continued to kiss her deeply, and of their own volition, her legs tightened around his, making her slide further to the edge of the counter, until their bodies were as close as could be, considering their positions.

They both sighed into the kiss, completely absorbed in each other, neither one hearing the sliding door as it opened. This was not a good thing, mainly because Will would have been mortified if Jack had walked in and had witnessed his father groping Elizabeth like a teenage boy.

As it happened, it wasn't Jack that walked in.

Will vaguely heard the clearing of a throat, and then an all-too-familiar voice come from the direction of the sliding door.

"Pardon me, I don't want to interrupt."

Elizabeth's eyes flew open and she instinctively pushed Will's hands down and away, out from under her shirt. She felt like she had no control over her limbs at all, but knew that she had to get down off of the counter. _Immediately_. Unfortunately, she couldn't, because although she was able to move her arms rather quickly, her legs hadn't yet received the message from her brain, and were still wrapped around Will's.

Will turned his body away from the voice, because he couldn't turn around, not at the moment. He was as hard as a rock – _big surprise there_ – something his gym shorts would do little to disguise. Something his cousin – and he _knew_ it was his cousin – would certainly notice. Thankfully, the blood that had pooled in his groin only minutes ago was now beginning to circulate again throughout the rest of his body, which was rapidly returning to a non-excited state.

"Richard," Will said, finally turning his head to look at his unexpected visitor, though still keeping Elizabeth captive on the counter. "What a pleasant surprise."

Will's voice was flat, giving Elizabeth the impression that the surprise wasn't at all pleasant.

"I thought you'd think so," Richard replied. "Are you going to introduce me to your...friend?"

Elizabeth still hadn't looked directly at the man, and now, she looked at Will with one eyebrow raised. Quietly, she whispered to him, "I need to get down."

Will nodded and backed away from the counter, holding her hands to help her down, then gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders to hold her close. "Elizabeth, this is my cousin, Richard. Richard, this is Elizabeth."

"Just Elizabeth?" Richard asked, a glint in his eye. "No title? Not...girlfriend?" He looked around the kitchen, still cluttered with dirty dishes and pans. "Or maybe housekeeper?"

Will instantly became annoyed. "Girlfriend. Not that it's any of your business. You just walked in my door unannounced, and you're already pissing me off."

Richard ignored him and walked toward Elizabeth, extending his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Elizabeth the girlfriend. _Very_ nice."

Elizabeth shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too," she said, with all the graciousness she could muster – which wasn't much. It was obvious that Will was not thrilled with his cousin's surprise appearance. She studied the man for a brief moment; he wasn't quite as tall as Will, nor was he as broad and muscular, and he _definitely_ wasn't as handsome. Where Will was all dark hair and dark eyes, Richard was just the opposite: pale blond hair, cut short, and green eyes, set behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

Will sighed. "Why are you here?"

Richard feigned indignation. "Why am I here? I came to check on you, see how you're getting along." He made a big show of looking around the kitchen, peeking under the table. "Where's Number 3? My FCOR? I'd love to see him."

Elizabeth looked at Will in confusion, and he rolled his eyes before explaining the nickname.

"First cousin once removed." He turned back to Richard. "He's outside, actually."

Richard looked back out the sliding door, glancing around the yard, but not seeing Jack. "Where?"

"Probably in his fort," Will answered.

"A fort?" Richard asked incredulously. "Ah, there it is. I've heard of those. I think I'll go check it out, say hi...if you don't mind."

Will gestured toward the door. "Go right ahead." He wanted Richard to be away from him for a moment so he could sort through his jumbled thoughts.

As soon as Richard was out the door, Elizabeth buried her head in Will's chest. "Oh. My. God. That was so embarrassing."

Will wrapped her up in his arms. "I'm sorry. I had no idea he was coming. What the hell does he want?"

The last part was said more to himself than to Elizabeth, but she ventured to answer him anyway.

"Maybe he _is_ here just to look in on you and see how you're doing."

Will smirked. "I wish I could believe that, but I know Richard. He has an agenda. He _always_ has an agenda." _And I'm sure it has something to do with my father_. He watched out the window over the sink as Jack came out of the fort and gave Richard a hug. Even when the two cousins were at their worst with each other, Richard always treated Jack well. _Despite the fact that he couldn't stand Jack's mother._

"I should – I should go," Elizabeth said, stepping out of his embrace to look up at him. "Um, I'll help you clean up first, and then I can just walk home."

Will frowned as he looked down at her. "No, please don't go, I want you to stay," he said quietly. "We're supposed to spend the day together."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly to silence him. "It's okay."

"No, it's _not_ okay," he said firmly. "I didn't invite him, I don't really want him here, and I'm not letting him chase you away."

Elizabeth sighed. "He's not chasing me away, but obviously, he's here for a reason. Look, we're still going to John's barbecue tomorrow, right?"

Will nodded as he looked down at her seriously. "Of course we are, I wouldn't miss it. Jack is excited about it too."

"Okay, then, we'll see each other all day tomorrow. And we get to watch the fireworks tomorrow night from the beach...maybe we'll even make some of our own." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully, trying to brighten his now slightly darkened mood.

This caused him to smile a little, and his previously stern expression softened. "Are you flirting with me, Miss Bennet?" he asked, reaching for her hips and pulling her toward him.

She shrugged coyly. "I guess you'll have to wait until tomorrow night to find out."

Will sighed loudly and shook his head. "I don't want you to leave."

"And I really don't want to, but I think it's the right thing to do. I'll feel like I'm intruding if I stay." He opened his mouth to say something, probably to argue, and she lifted a finger to cover his lips. "I know what you're going to say, and I appreciate it, but it won't change how I feel."

He kissed her finger, then pulled her in for a hug. Sighing again, he nodded against her hair. "Okay. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, and you shouldn't. _He _should. But I understand. Why don't you take the cart, I'll get it back later."

"No, it's nice out, I'll walk. But first, I'm helping you clean. Come on, let's get it done."

As they worked to straighten everything up, Will drifted into silence as he thought about the woman next to him, and how much she was already coming to mean to him. _She belongs here_, he thought, _Richard doesn't. _They were truly becoming a couple: sharing things with each other, making plans, and spending a lot of time together.

Each of them was learning how to just _be_ with someone again. It was a huge thing, for both of them, but as he'd thought to himself before, it just felt very right. There was really no other way to explain it.

Briefly, he thought back to Friday night – as he had already, even several times today in fact – and his mind immediately conjured up the image of her sitting up on him, straddling his thighs as she slowly unbuttoned her blouse and unhooked her bra. He was shocked enough that she had unbuttoned _his _shirt, never mind her own. The sight of her bared skin was enough to put him over the edge, but the taste of her was something else altogether; the flavor of her skin was intoxicating, and he was instantaneously addicted.

It had been a feat of self-control to take his mouth away from her breasts and move it back to her lips, but he had forced himself to do so, feeling as though he would overwhelm her if he didn't. He didn't want to rush her or push her, and only wanted her to go as far as she felt comfortable going. She had been brave to take that first step, and he'd told her so that night; he'd seen her confidence flagging, the passion in her eyes slowly being replaced by hesitancy and self-recrimination, and he'd _had_ to make her feel better, _had_ to reassure her that what she had done, what she was doing, was nothing short of beautiful. _She_ was beautiful.

Her voice jostled him from his stray thoughts.

"Where'd you go?" Elizabeth asked as she wiped down the counter, looking at him curiously. It had only taken them ten minutes or so to clean everything up, but Will had been completely silent as they worked, and she could see, and sense, his preoccupation.

"I wasn't that far away," he said, smiling softly. "I just took a short trip back to Friday night."

She was about to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of feet walking across the back deck. Jack opened the sliding door and walked in, followed by Richard.

"Dad, you didn't tell me Uncle Richard was coming," Jack said, looking excited. "He said he's gonna stay here for a couple of days with us."

Will glared at Richard, obviously surprised by what his son had just said. "Well, Jack, first of all, I didn't know _Uncle_ Richard was coming. I'm even more surprised to hear that he's staying."

Richard looked innocently baffled. "And here I thought you'd be thrilled to have me. But no, I've been here thirty minutes and you're itching to send me packing." He winked at Elizabeth. "Nice guy, huh?"

Elizabeth remained silent, refusing to be baited. And it was obvious that 'baiting' was exactly what this man was doing; trying to lure her into a conversation with him, where he would probably make it look like she was saying something she wasn't. Stubbornly, she kept her mouth closed, only smiling a little.

"Oooh, tough crowd, tough crowd," Richard said, shaking his head. He turned serious. "I was only planning on staying a few days, just through the holiday – I know what this one does to you, and I really, _really_ wanted to see how you were doing."

Instantly, Will's face hardened. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" he asked, his dark eyes drilling into his cousin's green ones.

Richard appeared confused by Will's strong reaction. "Sure, yes. Um, where...?"

"My office, down the hall." He glanced at Elizabeth. "Can you wait just a few minutes? This won't take long."

The expression on Will's face looked as if it had been carved from stone; gone was the gentle man she'd been holding only moments ago. "Yes, I'll – I'll wait. Jack and I will go outside." If Will's discussion with Richard turned loud, she didn't want Jack – or herself – to be within shouting distance. She had to admit to being curious, though, about Richard's comment regarding _this holiday_.

Will nodded once. "Thanks." He gestured for Richard to leave the kitchen ahead of him, and as they moved into the hall, Will told him which door was the office.

As they walked, Richard peeked into another doorway. "Ahh, I'm relieved to see you have a guestroom. I was beginning to think I'd be relegated to sleeping in the fort."

"If I have my way, you'll be sleeping in a hotel in Portland," Will said as they entered his office. "Or better yet, back in New York." He closed the door after Richard entered, and turned to face him, taking a deep breath before he spoke, forcing calmness into his voice. "I don't know what you're doing here, but if you think you can convince me that it's to check on my _well-being_, you're more of a fucking idiot than I think you are."

Richard's eyebrows rose. "Man, cuz, you are strung _tight_."

"Only since you walked into my house," Will responded coldly.

Richard stared at his cousin for a long moment. "Oh, _now_ I see." He nodded his chin toward the door. "That one's taking care of you, huh? She finally get the stalled Darcy engine to start up again?" He was purposely trying to goad Will, and get him to give up some information on the hot little brunette in the kitchen. He removed his suit jacket and hung it over the back of a chair, before sitting down and making himself comfortable.

Will refused to take the bait. "Fuck you, Richard, you don't see anything but what you want to see, or what my father _tells_ you to see." He remained standing, arms crossed over his chest, his expression giving away nothing.

"Hey, I know what I walked in on. I saw _that_ with my own eyes. If I had shown up five minutes later, I would have been treated to an even better show, I'm sure. Though, a word of advice; kitchen tables work better than kitchen counters. It's a height thing. Didn't marriage teach you anything?" He snapped his fingers and grimaced. "Oh, that's right, you were married to Anne." _Dig dig dig_.

Will felt his face flush, felt anger consuming him, and struggled to keep it in check. He walked toward his cousin and stood in front of him, then leaned forward, resting his hands on the arms of the chair, looming over him so that Richard had to tilt his head back to look up at him.

When Will spoke, his voice was low and threatening. "The only thing that's saving you from getting your teeth knocked out the back of your fucking skull right now is the fact that my son is right outside the door." He noticed that Richard leaned back slightly, away from him, and knew that he was startled by, and probably a little fearful of Will's reaction. There would be no contest if they were to clash physically. "I'm going to pretend those words didn't just come out of your mouth," he went on. "Now tell me what you want, what you're doing here. You have five minutes. After that, you're gone." He straightened and moved to lean against his desk, backing off slightly.

Richard sighed and looked down at his lap for a moment before looking up at Will again. "You can believe what you want," he said quietly, his expression more contrite and less cocky than it had been just minutes ago, "but I'm here for the reason I said I was here. To check on you."

Will shook his head, still not satisfied with what he was hearing.

"Christ, Darcy, don't you remember what it was like? What _you_ were like?" Richard asked, leaning forward in his chair as his voice rose slightly. "For the last two years, for the two weeks starting on July 4th, you disappeared completely. Not just physically, mind you, but mentally as well. You wouldn't go to work. You wouldn't answer your phone, or even show your face outside of your apartment. The only thing that existed for you, that mattered to you, was that kid of yours."

Will said nothing, but felt his anger abating marginally, only because he could concede that Richard was absolutely right on that point. He'd turned into a hermit, and had only wanted to be with Jack during those times; and unbeknownst to Jack, that little boy was the only thing that pulled Will through those two weeks.

"At least in New York, I had Mrs Reynolds to check on you. Or even Georgie, sometimes you'd talk to her if she stopped in...so at least I knew you were alive. Up here though? Georgie said you were fine, that you were doing better, but I had to see for myself." He sighed. "No matter what kind of shit has happened between us in the past, Darcy, we're still family. And let's face it, there aren't many of us left."

"I'm _fine_, and I certainly don't need you playing mother hen," Will replied, though at this point, his anger was ebbing drastically. Still, he didn't trust for a second that Richard had come here out of the goodness of his heart. Checking in on Will may have been _part_ of the reason he was here, but Will refused to believe that it was the _only_ reason.

"Of course the Fourth of July has been difficult," Will continued, his voice quiet now. "Do you think I haven't thought about it, about the accident? I can't _not_ think about it, not at this time of year. It's...it's just part of it, part of the holiday for me now. But...things are different this time. _I'm_ different, things have changed..." He refused to mention Elizabeth's name, if only to protect her privacy and their budding relationship. "I'm not going to dwell on it, relive it anymore. I'm trying to move on."

Again, Richard stared at him for a long moment. "I can see that."

Will didn't miss the implication in those four words, and knew that he was indirectly looking for an explanation, although it was obvious that they were both talking about Elizabeth. Still, he remained silent.

"I'm not trying to intrude on you here," Richard said, "despite what you think. I didn't call you first because I _wanted_ to surprise you, I didn't want you to be able to – to prepare, so to speak, for my arrival. Plus, you probably would have found a way to ban me from the island if you knew I was coming."

Will raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"I only want to stay for a couple of days." He looked around the office, mentally noting the absence of anything relating to Anne's memory or to his cousin's marriage, then gazed out the windows toward Casco Bay. "You've got a nice place here. Jack seems happy. I just want to see what it's all about. Then I'll turn tail and leave."

Will waited before speaking, rolling his cousin's suggestion around in his mind. "A couple of days?" he asked. "And then you'll leave. So, Tuesday morning, you're out the door. Right?"

"Right. Tuesday morning, I'm gone." _Possibly._

"I've got plans...things I was planning on doing today." _And tomorrow. And tomorrow night_, Will thought, groaning to himself a little. "I'll have to get some things squared away before I decide for sure." He paused, staring at his cousin. "One more thing, though."

Richard waited patiently to hear what Will had to say.

"If I let you stay...it's on my terms. I'm telling you right now, Richard...don't push me. Watch your mouth and watch your step, with me and with Jack." He paused. "And with Elizabeth. You won't get any second chances. One strike and you're out."

Richard nodded once, maintaining eye contact. "Fair enough."

Without another word, Will turned and opened the office door, letting Richard know their conversation was over. He rose from the chair and both men proceeded back to the kitchen, which was now empty. Will walked over to the sliding door, and saw that Elizabeth and Jack were outside. Jack was on the tire swing, and Elizabeth was spinning him in slow circles as they talked. She was smiling at him, and Jack was obviously rambling on and on about something.

Instantly, Will calmed further, and felt the tightness that had settled in his chest begin to loosen tremendously. Elizabeth looked toward the house then, and saw him standing at the door. She tilted her head and gave him a reassuring smile and a little wave, and his heart thudded in his chest as he smiled back.

He knew right then, as he looked at her, that his feelings for her were much stronger than he had fully admitted to himself. _I'm falling in love with her. _The realization, the certainty of it, didn't hit him like a thunderbolt. It didn't take his breath away or make him feel as though he could leap tall buildings in a single bound. It just..._was_. His heart, however, _did_ do a funny little dance in his chest as he thought about it, thought about what it all meant, and he waited patiently for it to resume its normal rhythm.

The timing couldn't have been worse for the revelation, as far as the company he was keeping at the moment. So, instead of doing what he wanted to do, which was to go outside and kiss Elizabeth until she couldn't breathe, he just stood there, staring at her as she turned her attention back to Jack.

"Christ," Will heard Richard say from somewhere behind him, "you can't take your eyes off of her."

Although he didn't betray it with his words, an alarm bell was ringing loud and clear in Richard's brain. He looked past Will's shoulder to Elizabeth, letting his eyes travel over her. She was definitely attractive, but in his opinion...nothing special. Women like her, hell, women _finer_ than her, were a dime a dozen in New York. Still, he didn't miss the look in his cousin's eyes...lust, for sure, but something more than that. Hence, the alarm bells. His somewhat panicked thoughts were interrupted by his cousin's voice.

"I'm going outside," Will said simply, turning to look at his cousin. "I told Jack I'd play catch with him." He didn't tell Richard to join them, or to stay inside; he wanted him to feel out of place and awkward, though he knew that it would probably take a lot more than that for Richard to feel that way.

Leaving the house, Will walked over to the tire swing, and fully aware that his cousin was watching him, he bent to give Elizabeth a brief, soft kiss.

"Are you okay?" she asked, taking in the slightly stony look on his face.

Will nodded. "I'm fine."

She looked at him closely, and could see that he wasn't fine...but could also see that now wasn't the time to discuss it, not in front of Jack. Sighing, she looped her arm through his. "Walk me to the end of the driveway."

His shoulders sagged, and he frowned. "I don't want you to leave, Lizzy, please."

"And I don't want to add tension to an already unbelievably tense atmosphere," she said, squeezing his arm.

"You won't. If anything, you'll keep me calm and less tense."

She smiled, but was resolved to leave. "If something changes, if you're free later, than call me. I'll be home, more than likely."

Will turned to Jack. "I'll be right back, buddy, I'm just walking Elizabeth out to the road. We'll play catch when I get back."

"'Kay. Bye 'Lizabeth, see ya later," Jack called out, mid-spin on his swing.

"Bye Jack, have fun today."

"'Kay."

As they walked toward the driveway, Elizabeth glanced at the house, and saw that Richard was still standing at the sliding door, watching them. Or watching _her_, was more like it. She was never one to get a feel for someone right off the bat; she would always get an impression, but was only right about half the time. With Richard, though, she felt like she was getting an odd vibe, as though he _did_ have an agenda, like Will had said.

That being said, she didn't know their history, and didn't know why Will felt such animosity toward him. She knew that she would ask, when the time was right – and now was definitely not that time.

"I feel lousy, like I'm...I don't know, like I'm blowing you off. This feels awful, you walking home. I wish you would at least let me drive you," Will said, his voice low.

They made it to the end of the driveway, and thankfully, there was not another soul to be seen anywhere. "It's my decision to leave," Elizabeth said firmly. "You're not sending me away, I'm sending myself. And it's just for today. I won't capitulate so easily tomorrow, you know."

"You won't have to," Will said, pulling her close enough to wrap his arms around her waist. "Nothing is keeping me away from you tomorrow." He paused. "Richard wants to stay for a couple of days, though. Until Tuesday morning, but...honestly, if it's going to mess us up, mess up our plans, I don't want him to stay. Well, I don't want him to stay _anyway_, but I think he and I need to hash some things out."

"So...what does that mean for tomorrow? Should we change our plans?"

Will shook his head adamantly. "No, no way. He can find a way to fill time while we're gone."

"Why doesn't he just come with us?"

Will's eyes widened. "To the barbecue at John's?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Lizzy, _I _haven't even met John yet, and you want me to drag my cousin along? Wouldn't that be kind of rude?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "John wouldn't care, he's all about 'the more the merrier.' And I know you well enough to know that you'll be going crazy, wondering what Richard is up to while you're gone. Bring him along, introduce him to Charles, and Charlotte and Kate..." She shrugged again. "I'll even call John if you want, make sure it's okay."

"All I care about is how you feel about it. Nothing else matters."

"Well, then, we're even, because all I care about is how you're going to enjoy the day if you're preoccupied with your cousin." She sighed. "It's your decision, Will," she said firmly. "He's your cousin. Whether he comes with us or stays here makes no difference to me, as long as you and Jack are with me, where I am. Period."

Will smiled down at her, his dimples slowly peeking out as the smile broadened.

Elizabeth's heart melted just a little as she stared up at him curiously. "Why the smile?"

"You're being territorial. Possessive."

She leaned back but remained in his embrace, placing her hands on his biceps. "Am not!"

He laughed. "Are too."

Elizabeth huffed and looked away, but couldn't help laughing at herself as he teased her.

"Me Lizzy, me want William and small boy with me. Period," he grunted in his best caveman voice.

"Shut up," she said, giving his arms a little shove and trying her hardest not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her smile. Shaking her head, she finally gave in. "And so what if I do? So what if I am territorial and possessive?" she asked, trying now to act indignant.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Will said softly, pulling her close again. He leaned down to kiss her, and this time, kissed her the way he'd been wanting to for the past thirty minutes, taking the time to play with her lips a little before parting them and sliding his tongue inside her warm mouth to tangle with hers, holding her flush to him so he could feel every luscious dip and curve of her body.

Finally, he pulled away from her slowly, then kissed along her jaw to her ear. "I love...that you feel that way. I will _gladly_ be possessed by you. In fact...I'm pretty sure that I already am." That was as close as he would get, for now, to admitting his growing feelings out loud to her. _But only for now._

Elizabeth blushed under his intense gaze, but remained speechless. The grin on his face begged for her to smile back at him, though, and so she did.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home?" he asked as he reached up to caress her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Jack would love to go for a ride, I'm sure."

She shook her head. "No, I'll walk. Just call me later, okay?"

Will nodded. "Of course I will."

His face clouded over again, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss away the frown. "Stop it. I'm fine. We're fine. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? I'll see you tomorrow."

"I always thought that line was a crock," Will said, still frowning.

She giggled as she pulled out of his embrace and began to walk away from him backwards, still talking. "Me too, but it sounded good, didn't it?"

He smiled softly but said nothing.

"Bye Will," she said quietly, wiggling her fingers in a wave as she got further away.

"Bye Lizzy," he answered, sighing again to himself, fighting the desire to go after her.

A movement in one of the front windows caught Elizabeth's eye, and she realized that Richard was watching them. She wondered how long he had been standing there.

But then, she really didn't have to wonder, did she? She knew the answer, it was obvious, and it made a zip of discomfort run up her spine.

_He's been watching us the whole time._

* * *

_Anyone have any thoughts on Richard? I'd love to hear them! Please leave a review if you can. Thanks!_


	21. Chapter 20

_So...Richard doesn't have a lot of fans! No surprise there. I'm afraid that this chapter probably won't change that. Big thanks to Jan and Mariana, betas extraordinaire, for all their help. And thanks to all of you for reading and reviewing as well! _

* * *

**Chapter 20**

Elizabeth took her time wandering home, enjoying the warm sunshine, her thoughts alternating between sweet ones of Will and curious ones about his cousin. Richard seemed to be a little abrasive, and was rougher around the edges than Will, that much she could see. He was certainly outspoken; as much as she was embarrassed to be caught fooling around in the kitchen with Will, she was surprised at Richard's nonchalance about the situation, and a little insulted by his question as to whether she was Will's girlfriend or his cleaning lady.

_I am definitely his girlfriend_, she thought, smiling to herself. But as flustered as she was about being caught out by Richard, sitting on the kitchen counter practically wrapped around his cousin…_Lord_, she'd loved every minute of that little interlude. The past few weeks spent in Will's company had awakened things in her that she had resigned herself to never being able to feel again, for anyone. Maybe it was too pessimistic a view for her to have at the age of twenty-six, but she just couldn't imagine that someone would come along and just…sweep her off her feet, which is how she felt right about now. _I feel thoroughly swept_, she acknowledged, laughing a little to herself.

She was disappointed that their plans for the day had been disrupted, though they hadn't really planned to do anything more than simply spend the day together. She treasured her Sundays off, and was looking forward to having a lazy day with Will and Jack, the three of them just going wherever or doing whatever they pleased.

Will had wanted her to stay, there was no question of that, but she understood herself well enough to know that she would have felt like a bug under a microscope with Richard. At least if he joined them tomorrow, there would be plenty of other people around as well, and perhaps she would feel more comfortable and less…scrutinized. _I'll have to tread lightly around him_, she thought.

Thinking of the upcoming party at John's reminded her that she needed to call him, so as she walked through her front door, she dialed his number from her cell phone. He answered in his usual ebullient manner.

"Lulu Bear! How are you, sweetie?"

Elizabeth smiled at his greeting. "Hi John," she said as she dropped down onto her couch. "I'm great, how are you?"

"Excellent. Getting ready to do some shopping for the party tomorrow. You're not calling to cancel, are you?"

"Oh, no way, I'll be there. I had such a good time last year. Do you need me to bring anything?"

"Just yourself. I actually decided to have the whole thing catered this time around."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "_Catered?_ Are you serious?"

John laughed. "Hell yeah, I'm serious. Why not? I can afford it, and the best thing is, they cook everything, _and_ clean up after. That's huge."

She had to agree; she had helped him clean up last year, along with Charlotte and several other friends of his, and it had put a bit of a damper on what had been a great party.

"I did hear from my little sister that you're bringing guests, though. Anyone I know?" he asked casually.

"Um, no, but you'll meet them tomorrow. They're kind of new to these parts. And actually, that's why I'm calling…would you mind if I brought along one more?"

"Not at all, you don't even need to ask."

"Of course I do…and I feel a little badly, now that I know you're having it catered. Don't you have to pay per person or something?"

John laughed. "Yeah, I guess. I don't know, to be honest with you. One more isn't going to break the bank, though."

Elizabeth smiled. "Thanks John."

"No problem, Lima Bean. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you then. Bye."

After hanging up, she sat on her couch a bit longer, looking around and debating whether or not she wanted to spend her Sunday cleaning her house. _Not particularly. _She did have laundry to do, and knew that Maddie would probably let her borrow Vixen to drive to the little island laundromat. She'd seen the bright red cart parked outside the Gardiners' house, so she knew that at least one of them was probably home.

An hour later she was poolside, getting some sun, with Vixen parked nearby. The small laundry facility was a stone's throw from the pool, and though Maddie had offered to let her use the Gardiners' washing machine and dryer, she figured that she'd take advantage of the proximity of the pool to the laundromat.

Many of the lounge chairs were already full, the warm day drawing plenty of families to the refreshing water, and Elizabeth happened to see the Gradys there, all four of them swimming together. She felt a twinge of disappointment again, missing Will and Jack a little more, but managed to give a bright smile and a wave when Sarah spotted her and shouted a hello. Finding a vacant chair tucked toward the back corner, near the deep end of the pool, she spread her towel and took off the shorts and tank-top that she was wearing over her swimsuit.

Elizabeth had her iPod on, turned low while she read a book, so didn't hear or see Caroline Bingley enter the pool area; she only became aware of the other woman's presence when Caroline's shadow fell across the pages of her book. Glancing up into the glare of the sun, she was surprised to see Caroline standing there with a smile on her face, almost looking…friendly.

"Hi, Elizabeth," Caroline said cheerfully. "Mind if I join you?"

Elizabeth's eyebrows rose up into her forehead as she pulled the earbuds from her ears. "Why on earth would you want to join me?" she asked, staring at Caroline.

Caroline sighed as she sat down on the foot of the empty lounge chair next to Elizabeth's. "Because," she said, her tone of voice and expression serious, "I was hoping to apologize to you for that whole fiasco outside of Fore Play a week and a half ago. I think Louisa and I had had a little too much to drink, and I was probably a bit overzealous with Will. I hope you didn't think too much of it, I don't know what came over me, honestly."

_Hm_, Elizabeth thought, _I know what came over you_.

"Anyway," Caroline continued, "Will made it perfectly clear to me on the ferry that night that he has no interest in me whatsoever. _Painfully_ clear, actually." She gave a contrite smile. "It was pretty embarrassing, truthfully, and believe me, I won't be setting myself up to have it happen again."

"Well, that's good to know," Elizabeth said, keeping her tone flat. She didn't for a second believe that Caroline was feeling remorseful for what she'd done. _It's just another tactic_, Elizabeth thought. _She's trying another approach._

"So…how are things with the two of you, by the way?" Caroline asked, trying not to appear overeager for information. "I didn't cause too much of a problem, did I?"

Elizabeth smiled benignly, knowing full-well that of _course_ Caroline would love it if she _had _caused a problem. _Does she really think I'm going to tell her anything?_

"Not at all, Caroline. You were just a flea on the giant shaggy dog of life, so to speak." Seeing Caroline's reaction – shock – to that comment, Elizabeth gave what she thought would pass as a sincere apology. "Oh, sorry, that didn't sound very nice, did it? I just meant that in the grand scheme of things, it really amounted to nothing."

Caroline schooled her expression, though she couldn't help but feel that Elizabeth was having a laugh at her expense. There was nothing that Caroline Bingley hated more than to be laughed at, and as her patience rapidly dwindled, she decided to be a little more direct. "I doubt that it amounted to _nothing_, Eliza. The look on your face that night spoke volumes, believe me."

Elizabeth's patience was also wearing thin. "What's your point, Caroline?" she asked finally. "Are you really that desperate to have your ego stroked? Or are you trying to scare me, intimidate me? If you are, you're wasting your time. And I know that the last thing you really want to be doing right now is sitting here, making nice with me. Whatever your game is, just give it up already, okay? Give it a rest. I don't want to deal with it, or with you."

Elizabeth stopped suddenly, and took a deep breath. _God, that felt good_. And it didn't take her long to figure out why; it was confidence. She felt confident in herself, and confident in her relationship with Will, however young it was. He was instrumental in making her feel this way, of course. His attentiveness to her, the way he spoke to her and treated her and kissed her and held her…it all encouraged her to have faith that whatever they were building, whatever was growing between them, would be something strong and worthwhile and permanent. She could feel it in her soul, but not just there. _I can feel it in my heart_, she thought. _He's already in my heart_.

Her attention turned back to the woman beside her when Caroline abruptly stood and glared down at her. When she spoke, it was in a calm, measured tone. "The last person I would need to stroke my ego is _you_, Elizabeth. I have plenty of men to do that for me, thank you very much."

Elizabeth smiled up at her brightly. "Great! Why don't you go find one, and leave me alone?" She put her earbuds in and went back to her book, not even paying attention when Caroline huffed and went stomping off, leaving the pool. _Good riddance to bad rubbish_.

She sat there for a good fifteen minutes, staring at the pages but not really reading anything. Endorphins were pumping through her body, making her feel like she was lit up from the inside. She felt strong, as if she could go off and conquer the world…and it was a spectacular feeling. _All because I stood up to Caroline_, she mused. It had taken a lot for her to get to this point, to feel as though she could stand up for herself and not be pushed around by anyone. She _used_ to be like that, a long time ago, but her short union with Bill had decimated that independence and outspokenness.

Of course, it probably had a lot to do with the fact that Caroline was trying to sabotage her relationship with Will. Then again, if Caroline had approached her like that about anyone that Elizabeth loved, whether it was Will, or Charlotte or Kate, her reaction would have been the same, she supposed. Caroline just needed to be put in her place once in a while; that was the trick with her.

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she realized what she had just…well, what she had just said. In her mind. To herself. _Anyone that I loved, whether it was Will_…. She took a deep breath and gazed off into the distance, not really seeing anything. _Am I falling in love with Will__?_ Her mind began to sort through the past few weeks, randomly sifting through memories they had already made together, alone and with Jack. As she did this, she felt butterflies take flight in her stomach, and felt her heartbeat speed up.

Elizabeth shook her head. _It's just a physical reaction. A wonky stomach and a hammering heart do not equate to falling in love. _She swallowed roughly as the butterflies persisted and even increased, making her feel almost nauseous, and she smiled as she made fun of herself. _Obviously, Lizzy, it's just a sudden case of the stomach flu_.

She sighed again as her smile grew. _Who am I trying to kid?_

* * *

"What's for dinner?" Richard asked, opening the cabinets in Will's kitchen as he searched for something to eat. "I'm famished."

Will smirked from his seat at the island as he slowly sipped a beer. "Whatever Jack and I decide you're going to treat us to."

Richard chuckled as he now started rummaging through the refrigerator, his back still turned to Will. "Man, do you ever eat? There's nothing here."

"I need to go shopping, but I have to wait until Tuesday, when the freight boat can deliver the groceries."

Richard stood up and turned around. "_Freight boat?_ Man, Darcy, how much food do you buy?"

Will laughed, he couldn't help it. "You're an idiot. The freight boat brings all the groceries over for everyone. They do it once a week. There's a market here on the island, though, remember? I pointed it out when we were out sightseeing today."

Richard nodded vaguely as he stood across from Will and leaned his elbows on the granite counter-top. "Yeah, I remember. I think." One thing he _definitely_ remembered was the woman they had bumped into during their travels. "So, how well do you know that hot blond that we saw walking today? What was her name?"

Will rolled his eyes. "Her name is Caroline. And if she hadn't flagged me down to say hello, I would've driven right by her, trust me."

Richard raised his eyebrows. "_I _didn't ask you to stop." He took a long pull from his beer.

"No, you didn't, but Jack was with us. He would have wondered why I ignored her, and he's a little too young to understand the term 'conniving bitch'."

Richard laughed. "Wow, so you _do_ know her well."

Will rose from the table and walked to the sink with his empty bottle. "Well enough."

Richard eyed him speculatively. "What are we talking about here? Did you fuck her?"

Will spun around and glanced toward the doorway of the living room, where Jack sat engrossed in a movie. When he spoke, his voice was low. "Watch your language. And no, I didn't."

"Bet you could have, though, right? She has that look."

Will frowned in confusion. "What look?"

"You know, that _look_…the _come fuck me_ look." Richard said, keeping his voice low per his cousin's wishes. "She looks like she'd be a handful…and not necessarily in a bad way."

"She won't be my handful, that's all I'm concerned with."

"Well, in any case, if you hadn't stopped when she waved, you wouldn't have known that the brunette was down at the pool. That one really does it for you, huh? She's cute."

Will glared at his cousin. "_The brunette_ is Elizabeth." He said, feeling a slight surge of annoyance, but deciding to choose his battles. "Do you always refer to women by their hair color?"

"Sometimes it's easier that way. And you didn't answer my question."

"And I'm not going to. Mind your own business."

"Hate to break it to you Darcy, but we're family. You _are_ my business."

Will shook his head as he turned back to the sink, but let the comment slide.

Of course, he'd been very pleased to find out that Elizabeth was at the pool, though he could tell that Caroline was nearly gritting her teeth when she'd told him, and that she'd kind of looked a little pissed off. Without giving it another thought, Will had driven right down to the pool after saying goodbye to Caroline, ostensibly so that he could show it to Richard, who had only rolled his eyes at his cousin's ruse.

Richard had opted to stay in the cart, but Will and Jack had walked into the pool area. Elizabeth had been resting with her eyes closed, her iPod playing and a book lying open across her stomach. Feeling mischievous, Will had encouraged Jack to dip his hand in the water and flick the cool droplets onto Elizabeth. She'd sat up with a start, and when she'd realized it was them, the smile that spread across her face, the sparkle that had lit up her eyes…it literally made his heart skip a beat, and all he could do for a moment was grin broadly in return.

They had chatted for only a few minutes, but not once had either of them stopped smiling at each other. Jack had spotted Sam, and had dashed off to talk to him, so Will sat himself down on the end of Elizabeth's chair. He'd apologized again for ruining the day, but she'd refused to hear it, and responded by telling him to shush. He'd leaned in to give her a soft kiss, lingering there for only a brief moment, wishing he could really kiss her the way he wanted to. Unfortunately, the pool area was crowded, and he was sure Richard was watching them. As much as Will didn't really want to _hide_ his relationship from his cousin, neither did he want to make it fodder for Richard's overactive imagination.

When he'd pulled away, he'd noticed that Elizabeth was smiling again, and then she'd actually giggled. "What's going on with you?" he'd asked, trying to puzzle her out.

Elizabeth had shrugged. "Nothing, I'm just happy to see you, that's all. How did you know I was here?"

"Oh, a little bird told me."

Elizabeth had raised one eyebrow at him. "A little bird?" _Caroline_. "Oh, you saw Miss Bingley, hm?"

Will nodded. "She waved me down, Jack and I have been giving Richard a tour of the island."

"She actually told you I was here? I can't believe it."

"Mm, she did. And she looked a little ticked off…did you talk to her at all?" he'd asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, though he was still grinning.

"I did."

Will waited, and when it was clear she wasn't going to say anything more, he tried to prod her. "And…?"

"And…nothing. It was quick, we didn't have much to say to each other." Elizabeth had been smiling, but then she pursed her lips. "I guess you could say that we came to an understanding of sorts, and leave it at that."

Will had rested his hand on her lower leg, nearly able to encircle her entire calf, and squeezed it gently. "You look pretty pleased with yourself."

Her reply had been a barely perceptible nod, as she was looking down at his hand. He'd turned his attention to it as well, watching as he lightly caressed her leg, up to her knee and then to her thigh, transfixed by the smooth feel of her skin.

"You're so warm," he'd said softly, raising his eyes to meet hers again.

"And getting warmer," she'd whispered back, right before leaning forward to kiss him again.

Sighing, Will shook his head a little to bring himself back to the present, rinsing a few glasses and plates before loading them into the dishwasher.

Richard stared at his cousin's back. "So, what, now you're daydreaming too?"

"I was just...thinking about dinner," Will answered distractedly.

Richard rolled his eyes, unbeknownst to Will. It was quiet for another moment, until Richard decided to broach the topic of Anne and the accident again. "Are you sure you're doing okay, with the anniversary coming up and everything?"

Will finished what he was doing in silence, making Richard wait for an answer. He had been waiting for this, waiting for Richard to bring up the accident again. It was unavoidable. At least he didn't bring up DMG or anything to do with the company. Will didn't want to know what was going on with his father's business; for right now, he was enjoying being blissfully ignorant. Closing the dishwasher, he reached for a towel to dry his hands before turning to face his cousin again.

"What do you want me to say, Richard?" Will asked calmly and quietly. "Do you _want_ me to hide myself away for the next two weeks, just to make you feel like you didn't waste your time coming up here?" Even as he was saying this, Will was aware that there was likely another reason that Richard was here, and he was fairly certain what it was.

"Of course I don't _want_ you to do that, what the hell kind of question is that?" Richard answered. "Look, the fact is, I'm here, I came to see how you were doing." He paused and took a deep breath. "You and I both know that your wife and I never saw eye to eye, it's no secret. Just the same, Darcy, _you_ loved her, and I saw what her death did to you. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

The kitchen was silent for a long moment as the men retreated into their thoughts. Will was the first to speak again, still keeping his voice quiet. The last thing he wanted was for Jack to overhear their conversation.

"I know you wouldn't, and I appreciate your concern," he said, wondering if the concern was genuine. "And believe me, like I told you before, it's not like I haven't thought about the accident lately, it's impossible not to. But...it's different, now, the way I see it. It's like it took place during another lifetime. Yes, it still makes me sad that it happened, and yes, I wish to God it never had...but it did."

Will ran one hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. "The thing is, it's not just the way I see it that's different, it's _me_ that's different. A lot of it has to do with being here." _And being with Elizabeth._

It was almost as if Richard had read his last thought. "And the brunette, she probably has a lot to do with it too, right?"

Will shook his head. "Her name is _Elizabeth_, Richard. Can you use her proper name, please?"

"Sorry. _Elizabeth_ probably has a lot to do with it too, right? What's the deal with her?"

Will shrugged. "We're having fun, we like each other." He purposely made it seem as if his relationship with Elizabeth was just a casual flirtatious thing, though to him, it was far from that. "We've only known each other for a month or so. It's nothing serious." His stomach clenched as he said the words, but he would _not_ confide his feelings to Richard, no way.

Richard eyed his cousin shrewdly."You sure about that?"

"About how long we've known each other?" Will asked, knowing full well that it wasn't what his cousin was asking. "Yes – I moved here on the fourth of June. I met her that day. Tomorrow is the Fourth of July." He paused. "Do the math."

"Not about that, you ass," Richard said, rolling his eyes. "About it being fun, and not serious. I mean, if it isn't serious, and it's just about you getting laid – _finally_ – then I'm all for it."

Will stared at his cousin but didn't say a word.

Richard held Will's gaze, and decided to push a little more. "I mean, you _are_ getting laid, aren't you? At least tell me that."

"No, I won't tell you _that_," Will answered flatly, looking away and shaking his head. "It's none of your fucking business, Richard."

"When are you coming home?" Richard asked, abruptly changing the subject. He could tell, just by the way his cousin answered him, and by the fact that he looked away, that he was definitely _not_ getting laid. _And if he isn't into this little puppy-love relationship for the sex...than he's definitely into this girl._

Will was surprised by the question. "When am I coming home?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "Back to New York, you mean?"

"Yes, back to New York, back _home_. When is this self-imposed exile going to come to an end?"

Will looked at him incredulously, and couldn't stop the laugh that escaped him. "Did my father tell you to ask me that?"

"No, he didn't. _I'm_ asking. How long do you plan on staying here?"

Will shrugged, still smiling a little. "I don't know. Maybe forever, maybe we'll never leave."

Richard rolled his eyes. "Quit fucking with me, Darcy. You know as well as I do that you won't last a year on this rock."

"I'm not _fucking_ with you, Richard. I like it here, and honestly, I couldn't care less if you do. If my father and I ever end up working things out, if he ever pulls his head out of his ass...then we'll see what happens, although I could certainly run a business from here. Right now, I'm not going _anywhere_. I've met people. _Good_ people." _Elizabeth_. "Jack has made friends, and he loves it here, more than he ever liked living in New York. He's already enrolled in kindergarten at the local elementary school."

Richard's eyes widened. "You're sending him to _public_ school?"

"Absolutely," Will said without hesitation, enjoying the disbelief in his cousin's voice. "Most of his friends will be there, so why would I send him somewhere else?"

Richard was now shaking his head. _It's the brunette, it has to be. It can't be this fucking place, no way. It's the girl._

"Why are you finding it so hard to believe that I could be happy in a place like this?" Will asked, genuinely curious. "Did you even bother to really look around you when we drove around the island today? It's a gorgeous place, it's quiet, the air smells good...didn't you notice?"

Richard shook his head. "No, not really. All I saw was lots of empty space, too many golf carts and not a single fucking golf course, and nothing to do. It's just – it's _dull_. Boring. Lifeless."

Will was ready to give up; Richard just didn't get it. "You and I may come from the same family, Richard, but we're completely different men."

"Obviously," Richard said dryly.

"Jack is happy here," Will said, trying one more time to drive his point home. "_I'm_ happy here. And right now, that's all that matters."

* * *

Elizabeth woke early Monday morning, but instead of getting right up as she normally did, she curled onto her side and thought about the two very different phone conversations that she'd had the previous night.

The first was with Jane. It had started out okay, with them talking about the sisters' upcoming visit to Maine. Elizabeth had also asked about Jane's summer class, and they'd chatted a bit about that, with Jane telling a couple of funny stories about her students. Elizabeth had tentatively relayed little bits of information about the time she'd been spending with Will and Jack, but each time she told Jane anything, her sister's reaction was just...flat. _"That's nice, Lizzy,"_ she'd say, almost as if she was indifferent to Elizabeth's feelings of happiness.

Unfortunately, Elizabeth had also mentioned that her plans with Will had been thwarted that day. Jane had asked what happened, and so Elizabeth had told her. Of course, Jane was aghast that Will had 'ditched her' for his cousin, and as many times as Elizabeth tried to tell her that is was her _own_ idea to disrupt their plans, and that Will had asked many times for her to stay, Jane wasn't hearing it. To Jane, their failed plans were just a confirmation of her theory; that Will would eventually choose his previous life over his new one, and Elizabeth would be hurt.

Elizabeth found herself wanting to yell at Jane over the phone, and if her older sister had been standing in front of her, Elizabeth likely would have throttled her. These feelings of tension between them were odd and unwelcome, and made Elizabeth uncomfortable, which was a completely alien feeling to have when it came to Jane.

Because of this, Elizabeth made the decision that she would no longer talk to her sister about Will. It wasn't an easy decision to make, because of course she wanted to tell Jane about her growing relationship; after all, the sisters shared everything with each other. It hurt Elizabeth deeply that Jane was being so close-minded about Will, but she was resolved to move forward and embrace the rediscovered self-confidence and new-found happiness that she was feeling.

Needless to say, after that part of their telephone conversation was over, the rest of it became stilted, with neither one feeling very talkative. They agreed to be in touch before Jane's visit, and ended the call abruptly.

Thankfully, Elizabeth had Kate and Charlotte in her corner. Her friends embraced her relationship with Will, and were truly thrilled for her – at least now that the little episode that had happened with Caroline had been smoothed over. They teased her good-naturedly about her new 'crush', and encouraged her to talk about him. They were happy that _she_ was happy, and because of Jane's attitude, Elizabeth was all the more grateful for her friends' support and enthusiasm.

Her second phone call, following shortly after Jane's, was from Will. He had sensed that she was in a bit of a funk, but she didn't relay to him anything about her sister's phone call. In Elizabeth's mind, talking about Jane's suppositions and theories would lend them a certain level of credibility, and so she chose to remain silent about them. Instead, she'd simply told Will that she was missing him, had missed him all day, and was looking forward to seeing him tomorrow. _Which was the absolute truth anyway._

"I talked to John about bringing another guest, he said it was fine," she'd told him. "He's having it catered, so he sounded like he didn't care who showed up." She heard Will sigh lightly on the other end of the phone. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, really. I just hate that Richard will be tagging along, that's all. I shouldn't care, because I still get to spend the day with you and Jack. You said there will be kids there, right?"

"Oh, yeah, a bunch. At least there were last year. John has a lot of friends who are already married and have kids. He has a nice house with a big yard, so there's plenty of room for them to run around. In fact, Sam might be there, now that I think about it...I think John and Mike know each other from the legal circuit."

"Jack would be psyched if he was."

Neither said anything for a moment, until Will spoke again. "I missed you all day today too, you know. My cousin's company doesn't quite compare to yours."

Elizabeth laughed. "Hmm, I hope not. Did you have time to talk more? I'm not prying, I just – I could tell you both needed to get some things off your chests, so I hope you got to do that."

Will's answer was short. "We did."

"Good." Obviously, he didn't want to talk about whatever it was they'd discussed.

"I was glad I got to see you at least once," Will said softly, changing the subject. "And in your swimsuit, at that. I should have offered to rub lotion on your back."

"Or on my legs," she said quietly. Remembering the feel of his hand on her skin made her face warm.

"Mmm, there too," Will had responded, his voice a little rough.

They'd talked for another half an hour or so, neither wanting the call to end, but both satisfied with the knowledge that they'd see each other soon enough.

Elizabeth sighed and rolled onto her back again, thinking about the day ahead, and deciding that she needed to get up and out of bed so that it could begin.

* * *

Elizabeth met Will, Jack, and Richard at the ferry dock just after noontime; Maddie had been nice enough to give her a lift, and so they arrived there just as the Batmobile was pulling into the small dirt lot. Will greeted Elizabeth with a warm kiss, then said hello to Maddie and introduced her to Richard. They had a few minutes to kill before the ferry left, so the five of them stood there, making small talk before boarding. After saying goodbye, Maddie drove off in Vixen as the rest of the group boarded the ferry.

"Now _that's_ a golf cart," Richard said as they walked up the long ramp, he and Jack walking ahead of Will and Elizabeth, who were holding hands. He turned his head back to talk to them over his shoulder. "If you're going to get stuck driving one around, that's the cart to have, right there." His attention focused on Elizabeth. "No cart for you?"

Elizabeth shrugged and shook her head. "No, I walk everywhere. I do have a car in Portland, though I don't use it much."

"What do you do when it rains?" Richard asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "We have these things here on the island called _umbrellas_, they're pretty handy."

Will grinned and squeezed her hand. They headed up to the top deck, where Jack picked their seats and they all settled in comfortably.

Elizabeth was amazed that during the entire trip, Richard never looked away from his phone. _What the hell is he doing, reading a novel on that thing? _He barely spoke, but Will didn't seem to mind.

Actually, Will _did_ mind, but only at first. He thought it was rude that his cousin was buried in his cell phone, not even making an effort at small talk. But then he figuredit was probably better this way; he didn't have to worry about what was going to come out of Richard's mouth.

Since Jack was occupied with walking around the deck, peering over the railings and down at the waves, Will was able to focus on Elizabeth, and that's just what he did. They talked quietly to each other for most of the trip, other times just sitting silently, eyes closed, letting the sun beat down on them. Will had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her up against him so that she was partially leaning against his chest. Her hand rested comfortably on his thigh, and her fingers traced lazy circles on his knee, over and over again. She turned and lifted her face to his frequently for kisses, and though he was enjoying every single one, he was a bit surprised at her lack of shyness around Richard. It was almost as if something had changed overnight, like she had figured something out during their day apart.

As much as he wanted to ask her what was going on, he knew now wasn't the time. _And maybe I shouldn't ask her at all, _he thought. _Maybe I should just go with it_. In the end, that's what he decided to do. After all, it wasn't as if something was wrong. It was all actually very right.

* * *

The party was in full swing when they arrived; there were at least fifty people milling about in the yard, and true to Elizabeth's word, Jack had at least a dozen kids to play with, if not more. Sam wasn't there, but it didn't much matter to Jack, he was gone in a flash. It looked as though John had purchased some things for the kids to play with, plus a lot of the parents had brought things along. Frisbees were being thrown, bean bags were being tossed in some type of game, hula hoops were circling around the hips of boys and girls alike, a Slip 'n Slide had been laid out along the back line of the property, and the best part of all – a dunk tank sat in the back corner of the yard. Right now, John was playing the 'dunkee', sitting in the tank in a pair of shorts, waiting patiently while a boy of about eight or nine years tried to hit the target with a baseball. After two attempts he was successful, and John dropped into the water, which must have been ice-cold, if his reaction was anything to go by.

Elizabeth waved John over to them as he climbed out. He laughed with the boy who dunked him and gave him a high five, then grabbed a towel and began to dry off as he made his way through the crowd to where she stood with Will and Richard.

"Lady Bug! You made it!" John exclaimed as he walked over to them, his eyes warming at the sight of Elizabeth. Jokingly, he made to grab her and hug her, knowing he was thoroughly drenched.

"Uh-uh," she said playfully, pushing at his chest. "Back off."

John smiled, and looked first at Richard, then at Will. "Who are your friends?"

"This is Will Darcy, and this is Richard..." She frowned briefly, the laughed. "Sorry, Richard, I just realized I don't know your last name. Are you a Darcy too, or...?"

"Nope, not a Darcy." He shook John's hand. "Richard Fitzwilliam."

"Nice to meet you, Richard. John Lucas." John then turned to Will. "Good to meet you too, Will," he said. His eyes seemed to linger a little longer on Will's, as if he was trying to get the measure of him.

"I've heard a lot about you, John, it's good to finally meet you." Will maintained the eye contact while he shook John's hand, knowing just what John was doing. Elizabeth always said that John was like a brother to her, so Will expected a little curiosity on John's part.

"All good stuff, I'm sure," he said, grinning a little. "Little Bean, here, couldn't possibly say anything bad about me. She loves me too much.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "That must be it."

"Hey, I thought you said you were bringing an extra?" John asked, looking around them.

"Oh, well, Richard is actually the extra," she explained.

"My son Jack is here, too," Will continued for her, then nodded to the group of kids that were across the yard from them. "He's already mixed in with that throng."

John nodded slightly, staring at him. "So, you have a kid, huh? How old?"

"He's five."

"Nice," John replied.

"Where's your sister, by the way?" Elizabeth asked. "And Kate?"

"Charlotte's here, you just have to find her," he said, looking around at the crowd of people. "Kate is coming a little later, I think, with Charles."

Both Will and Elizabeth looked surprised at that, and when they glanced at each other, they wore identical expressions.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I hear dry clothes calling my name," John said, glancing down at his wet shorts. "Go grab some food, have a drink, there's a bar set up over there." He pointed to another area of the yard. "I'll catch up with you in a little bit."

As he walked away, Will turned to Elizabeth. "Lady Bug? Little Bean? Am I missing something here?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.

Elizabeth laughed as she looked up at him, wrapping one arm around his waist. "He always has these crazy names for me. When we first met, he called me Lizzy Bennet. Not just Lizzy, or Elizabeth. It was always _Lizzy Bennet_. Then it changed into all these bizarre names that play on my initials." She paused for a moment. "Oh, and so Richard is a _Fitzwilliam_...which makes his father –."

"My mother's brother," Will interrupted. "He's – he's a Fitzwilliam."

Seeing that his cousin was preoccupied once again with his phone, Will loosely wrapped his arms around Elizabeth. "So, back to these little nicknames of yours. Has he ever thought of anything like...hmm, let's see..." he said quietly, pretending to ponder some names. "How about like Luscious Beauty?" he said quietly, bending to kiss her. "Or Lovely Brown eyes?" _Or Luscious Breasts? Or Lovely Bottom?_

Elizabeth felt her face pink. "Um, no, those haven't come up yet," she said, laughing a little. "I'd be surprised – and a little worried – if they did, I think. Incidentally, that last one wouldn't count – too many words." She stared up into his eyes, and felt herself getting a bit lost in them as the noise of the party revelers faded a bit.

"That's okay," he said softly, "because I can just _tell _you that you're a luscious beauty, and that you have lovely brown eyes." He leaned down to kiss her again, not a deep kiss, but a sweet one just the same. He didn't want them to make spectacles of themselves in front of a crowd of people. _Maybe I'll drag her off into a corner somewhere. _The idea seemed very appealing at the moment.

"Oh, my God, am I going to have to listen to this sappy shit all day?" Richard asked, bursting their bubble of playful flirtation. "I'd rather sit in the dunk tank."

Will slowly relinquished hold of Elizabeth's waist, though he still held tight to one hand. He gestured toward the tank with his other. "By all means, go for it. I'll be first in line to sink you."

"Actually, you should be in there," Richard said, looking Will up and down. "You could probably use a good cooling off." His attention went back to his phone as it chimed, and he wiggled his eyebrows as he read his latest text message.

The sound of a woman's squeal of glee interrupted them, and before she knew what was happening, Elizabeth was being spun around and pulled into Charlotte's arms.

"Lizzzzzy! I'm so glad you're here." Charlotte released Elizabeth and turned to Will, winking at him and smiling slyly. "Hi there, Will."

Will smiled. "Hi Charlotte, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm great." She looked around at the party. "Isn't this fabulous? I was hoping the good weather would hold. It even looks like it'll be clear for the fireworks tonight. Are you staying for them?"

Elizabeth scrunched her nose up. "No, I don't think so."

"Oh, come on! You have to stay," Charlotte begged.

"I'm not sure if there's a late ferry, and I don't want to be stuck here. And Will has Jack, and his cousin is visiting. We'll just watch from the island."

Charlotte looked behind Will, and nodded toward Richard with her chin. "That the cousin?" she asked, a look of amusement on her face.

Richard had barely looked up from his phone when she walked over.

"Yes, that's my cousin," Will answered shaking his head, "pleasant and engaging as always."

Charlotte walked over to Richard and planted herself in front of him. "Hi there."

Richard glanced up, then back down to his phone, then right back up again to Charlotte. "Hi."

She held out her hand. "Charlotte Lucas."

Richard reciprocated, shaking her hand. "Richard Fitzwilliam." His eyes went back to his phone.

"Are you always this crazy at parties?" Charlotte asked. "Because really, you should rein it in a bit, I think you're scaring the children."

Richard looked away from his phone again and up into her face, his expression no longer blank; he now wore a look of mild interest, as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Excuse me?"

Charlotte leaned forward as if to look at his phone. "Is there something good on there? What are you doing, streaming porn or something?"

Richard's eyes opened wide as he moved his phone away. "No, I'm not streaming _porn_. Who the hell are _you?_"

Elizabeth turned her face into Will's shoulder, trying to contain her laughter.

"She just told you who she was, you ass," Will said. "Why don't you put that thing away?"

"Yeah, you're at a _party_. Have you ever been to one before? Or is this your first time?" Charlotte asked, her voice sugary sweet.

Richard smirked and leaned closer to her. "Honey, this isn't a party, believe me. I've been to dental appointments that have been more exciting than this."

Instead of responding, Charlotte turned to Will. "Now I see the family resemblance. You both _suck_ at first impressions."

Elizabeth couldn't contain her laughter anymore, and as it bubbled out of her, Will turned to look down at her.

"You're laughing at _me_, you know," he said quietly. "I'm so glad you find my flaws humorous." He was trying desperately to keep a straight face, but was failing miserably.

Richard went on as if Will had said nothing, and leaned in toward Charlotte. "I may not give a good first impression, sweetie, but believe me, I leave a hell of a lasting one."

Charlotte's mouth dropped open, but she was smiling as she looked at Will again. "Is he for real?" She turned back to Richard. "I'm curious, do lines like that really work on women? I mean, other than for comic relief? And that little...that little _thing_ you're doing with your eyes? Is that, like, a smolder or something? How does that work for you?"

Will watched as Richard pulled back a little from Charlotte, and when he noted the look on his cousin's face, he groaned quietly. There was no mistaking the glint in Richard's eyes, or the slight smile that played on his lips.

Elizabeth heard the groan and looked up at Will. "What was that for?" she whispered to him.

Will shook his head. "There is nothing my cousin loves more than a challenge, and to him, Charlotte is throwing down the gauntlet. I can guarantee you that in his mind, this whole little encounter is being viewed as some sort of twisted little mating ritual."

This caused Elizabeth to giggle, which made Will laugh as well, causing both Charlotte and Richard to turn and look at them suspiciously.

"Anyway," Charlotte continued, focusing on Richard once again, "my point is that you should put your phone away and try talking to people. If you're not too _sophisticated_ for that." She looked at Elizabeth. "I'm going to see if John needs help with anything. Let me know when Mr. Lasting Impression, here, is in the dunk tank, so I can take a shot."

Richard let his eyes rake up and down her body. "Well, I hate to see you go, honey, but I'll love to watch you leave."

This time, Will's groan was louder as Charlotte just walked away, laughing and shaking her head.

"What was her name again?" Richard asked, staring after Charlotte as she moved into the crowd.

"If you can't remember, I'm not telling you," Will answered, chuckling. "Next time, listen up when someone is being introduced to you."

Two hours later, the party was still going strong. Charles and Kate had shown up, introductions were made, and Richard's reaction to both of them was almost comical. He took one look at Charles' longish hair, board shorts, mostly unbuttoned short-sleeve shirt and bare feet, and Will knew just what Richard was thinking: that Charles was an idiot.

When Richard looked at Kate, however, his reaction was quite different. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he was rendered speechless, which was amazing to Will. Richard was never, ever speechless. Kate just looked at Richard oddly, not quite sure if he was going to speak or not. When it was clear that he wasn't, she smiled, obviously a little perplexed, and turned her attention to Elizabeth and Will.

They'd talked for a while, but Richard was mostly silent, looking at the newcomers, almost studying them. He watched the easy camaraderie that existed between Charles and Will, and wondered what it was that they could possibly have in common. Charles looked like he just washed up on shore, minus the surfboard.

The woman he was with, however... Richard looked her up and down, not even bothering to hide that he was doing so. _Fan – fucking – tastic body. And a redhead, to boot._ He watched as Elizabeth chatted with her, and it was obvious, even to him, that they were good friends. Smiling, he wondered if he could talk Will into letting him stay a little longer. _Not too long_, he thought, snickering a little. _Just long enough._

Jack interrupted the conversation among the adults as he came trotting over to his father. He had rarely been with Will today, but his father had kept an eye on him constantly, making sure he was within his sight throughout the party. Jack had been happily preoccupied by the horde of kids that he'd been playing and running with, and had seemed to click well with a young boy named Thomas. Not only that, but Jack had also drawn the attention of a girl named Zoe, who appeared to be about his age.

Will knew this only because Jack had sought him out to complain that Zoe kept chasing him around, trying to grab him, and he didn't want her to, because he wanted to play with Thomas and the other boys. Will smiled, thinking,_ is it starting already?_

"Just ask her to stop, but do it nicely. Say please," Will advised, not quite sure how to diffuse the situation. "I'm sure she'll quit if you ask her to." Jack just rolled his eyes...which, Will noticed, were barely visible under his long hair. "Hey, how about a trip to the barber tomorrow?"

Jack's shoulders sagged dramatically. "_Yes_, can we go _please?_ I'm so hot with all this hair, and it's always in my eyes." He looked at Elizabeth, pushing his hair out of his face at the same time. "Girls must _hate _havin' long hair, I bet they wish they could just cut it like a boy."

"Oh, it's not so bad," Elizabeth answered, grinning at him. "We tough it out."

Jack grinned. "I want to get it all buzzed off, like a soldier."

Will shrugged. "We'll see." He watched as Jack trotted off to play again with the other kids.

Toward the end of the afternoon, Elizabeth stood by herself, watching Will as he was weaving his way through the crowd to the bar. She'd had a few beers, and was feeling the beginnings of a pleasant buzz, and had decided that now was a good time to switch to water. Her eyes moved from Will to the dunk tank, where Charles sat inside, waiting patiently as Kate tried to hit the target. She succeeded, and Elizabeth laughed as Charles climbed out and made a beeline for Kate, wrapping her up in his arms and getting her soaked in the process.

_I'll have to find out what's going on with them later_, Elizabeth thought. _They certainly look like they're a couple again._

"Having fun?" a voice said from over her right shoulder. She turned to see Richard standing there, sipping some sort of mixed drink.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "I am. The weather is beautiful, it's a great crowd..." She glanced up at the sky. "And there isn't a cloud to be seen, which means we'll see a good fireworks show." She looked back at him. "How about you?"

Richard shrugged. "It's alright. There are worse things I could be doing on July 4th, I suppose. With worse people."

Elizabeth grinned to herself but remained silent, inwardly thinking that he was more than a little bit arrogant.

Richard cleared his throat. "Listen, I want to thank you for helping Will out."

Elizabeth's eyebrows rose. "Helping him out?"

Richard nodded, then sipped his drink again. "Yeah, you know, taking his mind off of everything. He really needs that, especially now."

Elizabeth shook her head slightly. "I don't understand, why now?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her. She remembered, suddenly, Richard's comment yesterday about _the holiday_. "Does it have something to do with July 4th?"

Richard stared at her in disbelief. "He didn't tell you about the accident?"

"The – the accident that killed his wife? Yes, he told me about that."

"Did he tell you it was three years ago today, to the day? It happened on July 4th."

Elizabeth's stomach churned, and she felt her mouth go dry. "No, I – no," she answered, suddenly feeling flustered. "He didn't tell me when it was, specifically. Just...that it was a car accident."

Richard nodded. "She held on for a couple of weeks, but the poor thing just couldn't handle it. She was too fragile, I guess. Man, we all really thought that Will was going to go off the deep end after that. Anne was his entire world, you know? Since he was sixteen, it was her and only her. She was irreplaceable."

Elizabeth nodded, but was completely unsure of what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Richard continued on.

"I mean, he's never even had another girlfriend or anything. Well, there was this one woman, but..." He stopped talking. "Sorry, not a great story for mixed company. Anyway, you know, right around this time of year, he sort of sinks into a...well, a slump. A depression of sorts. Used to go off into his own world for a couple of weeks, just him and Jack, hiding away from the world. Of course, Jack didn't know, he didn't think anything of it. The rest of us, though...we'd all be waiting on pins and needles for the damn anniversary to pass, to see if he'd come out of his cave mentally intact."

"He – he seems better. He seems okay. This year, I mean," Elizabeth said, tripping over her words. She was trying to process everything she'd just been told, but every time she began to think about it, Richard would say something else. She was determined not to let him see how much his words had shocked her or how badly her head was spinning.

"Well, yes," Richard said, leaning toward her and smiling. "That's why I was thanking you." His voice was low, and he intentionally let his gaze wander to her breasts, than down further, before coming back to her face. "You do seem to be a cure-all, Miss Bennet. He says you two are having a lot of..._fun_ together, and believe me, it's just what he needs: A good, carefree, no-strings-attached, rebound sort of relationship. When he goes back to New York, he'll be a new man."

Elizabeth was staring straight ahead, and she caught Will's eye as he began walking back to where she stood. He smiled at her from a distance, and with every ounce of willpower she had, she smiled back as if nothing was wrong, then took a deep breath.

"Glad I could help," she said quietly.

Richard's words echoed through her mind, even as she watched Will work his way back through the crowd to her.

_When he goes back to New York, he'll be a new man._

* * *

_So...anyone joining Richard's fan club now? Please leave me a review if you can. Thanks!_


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